Current Health Care Experiences, Medical Trust, and COVID-19 Vaccination Intention and Uptake in Black and White Americans

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted Black Americans’ inequitable health care experiences. Across two studies, we tested the associations between health care experiences, historical knowledge of medical mistreatment, medical trust, and COVID-19 vaccination intention and uptake in Black and White Americans. We hypothesized that Black Americans’ worse current health care experiences (rather than historical knowledge) and lower medical trust would be associated with lower COVID-19 vaccination intention (Study 1) and that feeling less cared for by their personal physician would be associated with Black Americans’ lower medical trust (Study 2). Method: In convenience (Study 1, December 2020) and nationally representative samples (Study 2, March–April 2021), participants completed online surveys. Results: In Study 1 (N = 297), Black (relative to White) Americans reported lower vaccination intention (Cohen’s d = -.55, p,.001) and lower medical trust (Cohen’s d = -.72, p,.001). Additionally, less positive health care experiences among Black participants (Cohen’s d = -.33, p =.022) were associated with less medical trust and in turn lower vaccination intention. Tuskegee Study knowledge was not associated with vaccination intention or medical trust. Study 2 (N = 12,757) data revealed no statistically significant racial differences in COVID-19 vaccination receipt or intention. Black (relative to White) Americans reported feeling less cared for by their personal physician (Cohen’s d = -.44, p,.001), which was associated with lower medical trust (Cohen’s d = -.51, p,.001). Conclusion: Findings highlight factors that may contribute to Black Americans’ vaccination hesitancy and medical trust.