Church Leaders Share and Implement Solution-Focused Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Alabama.

Bridging the healthcare access gap and addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among rural-dwelling Black American adults residing in the Deep South require involvement of faith-based leaders in the community. This study explored perceived barriers and resources to meeting community needs, including vaccination, during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported by 17 Black American church leaders in the rural West Alabama Black Belt geographic region in May 2022. The main themes that emerged included (1) attending to community impact of COVID-19 illness and death; (2) maximizing health literacy and diminishing vaccine hesitancy through engaging in preventive health practices and sharing public health information; (3) addressing challenges created or exacerbated by COVID-19, including reduction in in-person attendance (particularly among adolescents and young adults), limited access to and literacy with technology, and political perceptions influencing engagement in preventive health behaviors; (4) maximizing technological solutions to increase attendance in the church; and (5) engaging in solution-focused and innovative initiatives to meet the identified needs in the congregation and community.

HIV Knowledge, Risk Factors, and Utilization of Services in the US Rural Deep South.

Background: HIV prevalence in the rural South remains high among Black Americans due to limited access to prevention and treatment services and poverty. HIV care inequities for Black Americans living in the rural South are further intensified by high mortality rates, low HIV health literacy, stigma, and discrimination. Few studies have focused on HIV knowledge and risk factors within Black Americans in the rural South.