Kalyse Houston

The COVID- 19 Pandemic and Rural Communities of Color: Examining the Impact of Race, Healthcare Accessibility, and Health Literacy in Waller County, Texas

Kalyse Houston, Marco Robinson (Faculty Mentor), and Andrea Brooks Division of Social Work, Behavioral, and Political Sciences, Prairie View A&M University Clinical Nursing and Track Manager RN-BSN Program, University of Houston

The looming Covid-19 Pandemic exposed a myriad of lingering issues associated with racial inequality, health literacy, and access to healthcare in urban and rural communities across the United States. In the wake of Coronavirus transmission in Texas, Houston/Harris County has been accounting for the majority of the state s escalating cases. With the focus being placed on the larger metropolitan areas of Texas, the circumstances around the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on African American residents living in many of the state s rural enclaves are currently being overlooked. One of the key geographical areas of oversight is rural Waller County, Texas. This pilot study examines the experiences of black residents of Waller County during the pandemic through collecting survey data and conducting interviews with them regarding their experiences. This mixed methods approach will extrapolate rich quantitative and qualitative information that provide unique insights and show a rare in depth perspective to their individual situations. Recruiting participants from congregations of local black churches, this study explores black residents health literacy related to Covid-19, the socio-economic factors influencing their quality of life, and the availability of healthcare in the immediate area. By triangulating these three variables, this project analyzes the impact of Covid-19 and race on Waller County s African American resident s health status. The data collected will serve as baseline information to give the investigators insights for expanding the study to other area churches and seeking funding to support the project long-term. Ultimately, the data and findings from this study can be used by local community leaders, along with state and federal policy makers, to inform their decisions regarding allocating resources and providing services to residents of rural areas during future pandemics.

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