Cultural, societal, and personal factors impacting COVID-19 vaccine intentions among American Indians and Alaska natives

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2, better known as COVID-19, has impacted all people globally. In the United States, the impact of COVID-19 has been extremely devastating for American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Historically, this resilient population has been battling numerous epidemics since first contact with European colonizers. These epidemics, coupled with COVID-19, have led to a deadly syndemic for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Understanding what cultural, societal and individual factors are involved in health decisions can help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and better inform policies. This dissertation used a mixed-method approach to examine 1) what cultural, societal, and individual factors can predict COVID-19 vaccine intent (Chapter 2 & 3) and 2) to understand the phenomenology of tribal COVID-19 policies and tribal governmental actions implemented in response to the pandemic (Chapter 4). Results demonstrate that ethnic identity, age, education, smoking status, type of employment, handwashing behaviors and a belief that traditions can prevent COVID-19 infection were all predictive of COVID-19 vaccine intent. Furthermore, results show that tribes relied heavily on federal recommendations and traditional values when implementing strategies to keep their communities safe. Tribes with limited infrastructure had a more challenging time disseminating policy to their members, but others found that social media was an effective medium for policy dissemination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)