Social Determinants of Health and Satisfaction With Sources of Information About COVID-19 Related to Vaccine Uptake in a Safety Net Health Care System.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is a critical tool to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, vaccine uptake varies across communities and is often affected by sociodemographic factors and accessibility.

OBJECTIVES: This paper outlines a pilot study aimed to examine factors associated with COVID-19 patients within one of the nation's largest safety net health care systems.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was conducted with adults over 18 eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Descriptive analysis of survey data collected in 2021-2022 was employed. Unconditional and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between sociodemographics, social factors, and COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

RESULTS: Study participants (N = 280) were a diverse patient population, primarily low-income and majority Hispanic/Latinx, with low education levels but with a high level of COVID-19 vaccine uptake and a high rate of intent to vaccinate again. Approximately 22% report having unstable housing, and 46% experiencing food insecurity. Most trusted sources for COVID-19 data included mainstream media, including TV, radio and newspapers and friends, family, or other informal networks. We found that respondents who were satisfied or very satisfied with COVID-19 information received from health care providers or the government had higher odds of vaccine uptake rates.

DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the critical role of access to the COVID-19 vaccine and sources of information as an independent factor in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among patients within a safety net health care system. This study expands the literature on COVID-19 vaccine uptake, particularly in an under-resourced region of the South Los Angeles community. Future research is needed to better understand the mechanisms between social determinants of health, perceived discrimination, and vaccine uptake.