Addressing Low-Income Housing Resident Mistrust in COVID-19 Guidance

The purpose of this project was to study how perceived legitimacy of important institutions and mistrust in sources of COVID-19 information affect compliance with public health guidance designed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, including maintaining physical distancing, mask-wearing, testing, and vaccination. Creating capacity to interact with study participants and Community Advisory Board members virtually was a necessary first step. This study recruited 240 low-income housing residents who formed a core sample for multiple waves of research activities. The core participant group were equipped with tablets with HD webcams, internet connectivity for the duration of the study, and basic digital literacy instruction and technical support. Participants were asked to complete online assessments and participate in focus groups throughout the two-year study period. The overarching goal was to increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 outreach and guidance in low-income housing communities. The study did this over the following aims: 1) Investigate why low-income housing residents report high levels of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and poor compliance with public health guidance; 2) Assess telehealth as a potential tool for addressing low-income housing resident mistrust in COVID-19 guidance; and 3) Develop community-informed strategies to address resident concerns about COVID-19 testing and to make testing more relevant to their needs.