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

Award Number: R01MD016882
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/23/2021
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/01/2025

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


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$503,039 )
2025	2024	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	4	4/1/2025	TERMINATION	$0
2025	2024	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	4	9/12/2025	TERMINATION	-$503,039
														Subtotal = -$503,039

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $677,130 )
2024	2024	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	4	12/27/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$628,264
2024	2024	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	4	5/29/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$48,866
														Subtotal = $677,130

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $705,630 )
2023	2023	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	3	1/3/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$635,067
2023	2023	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	3	2/13/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$70,563
														Subtotal = $705,630

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $723,305 )
2022	2022	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	002	2	2/8/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2022	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	2	1/18/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2022	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	003	2	5/2/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$72,331
2022	2022	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	2	12/21/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$650,974
														Subtotal = $723,305

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $766,758 )
2021	2021	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	002	1	9/27/2021	NEW	$0
2021	2021	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	1	4/23/2021	NEW	$766,758
2021	2021	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	1	4/26/2021	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $766,758

Grand Total All Awards = $2,369,784

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

Award Number: R01MD016882

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/23/2021

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/01/2025

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