Community-based Design and Evaluation of a Conversational Agent to Promote SARS-COV2 Vaccination in Black Churches

项目概要/摘要 基于社区的设计和评估对话代理以促进 SARS- 黑人教堂中的 COV2 疫苗接种 非裔美国人因 COVID-19 承受了不成比例的负担，其中 与白人相比，感染率、住院率和死亡率更高。这些发现可能 更糟糕的是，非裔美国人对疫苗犹豫不决的风险也更高。 由于有限的健康素养已被确定为种族和民族差异的关键调解因素， 解决健康素养障碍的干预措施有可能改善这些障碍 差异。在过去的十年中，我们开发并测试了具体的对话代理 (ECA) — 使用语音、手势模拟面对面咨询的计算机角色 目光线索和其他非语言行为，并成功地将它们应用于健康行为 对健康素养较低的人群进行干预。我们开发了基于 ECA 的 采取干预措施解决低识字人口中的各种健康问题， 包括促进身体活动、饮食和药物依从性，提供获得和 医疗保健文件的解释以及家庭健康史的收集。在这个项目中，我们 提议创建一种有效且可持续的基于智能手机的 ECA 干预措施，旨在 提供有关 SARS-CoV-2 和流感疫苗接种的个性化和定制教育。我们 将与大波士顿黑人部长联盟 TenPoint (BMATP) 合作开发 干预应用程序并在一项涉及来自 12 个国家的 600 名信徒的临床试验中对其进行评估 主要是非裔美国教会。我们的主要假设是参与者将有 6 个月（H1）时 SARS-CoV-2 和流感疫苗接种系列的完成率显着提高 以及 12 个月（H2）的应用程序版本，以促进参与并融入精神 剪裁。我们的次要假设是，在未接种疫苗的参与者中， 那些处于高参与度和定制条件下的人的意图将得到显着改善 获得 SARS-COV-2 和流感疫苗接种以及对 SARS-COV-2 和流感的态度 流感疫苗接种。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Community-based Design and Evaluation of A Conversational Agent to Promote SARS- COV2 Vaccination in Black Churches African Americans have suffered a disproportionate burden from COVID-19, with significantly higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and mortality compared to Whites. These findings may be compounded by the fact that African Americans are also at higher risk for vaccine hesitancy. As limited health literacy has been identified as a key mediator of racial and ethnic disparities, interventions that address health literacy barriers have the potential to ameliorate these disparities. Over the past decade we have developed and tested embodied conversational agents (ECA) — computer characters that simulate face-to-face counseling using voice, hand gesture, gaze cues and other nonverbal behavior, and successfully used them in health behavior interventions for populations with low health literacy. We have developed ECA-based interventions to address a wide range of health problems among low literacy populations, including physical activity, diet, and medication adherence promotion, providing access to and explanation of healthcare documents, and collection of family health histories. In this project, we propose to create an effective and sustainable smartphone-based ECA intervention designed to deliver personalized and tailored education about SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza vaccination. We will collaborate with the Black Ministerial Alliance TenPoint (BMATP) of Greater Boston to develop the intervention app and evaluate it in a clinical trial involving 600 congregants from 12 predominately African American churches. Our primary hypothesis is that participants will have significantly greater SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza vaccination series completion at 6 months (H1) and 12 months (H2) in versions of the app that promote engagement and incorporate spiritual tailoring. Our secondary hypotheses are that, among participants who have not been vaccinated, those in the high engagement and tailored conditions will have significant improvements in intent to obtain SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza vaccination and attitudes towards SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza vaccination.