# Community-engaged research to promote SARS-CoV-2 vaccine uptake in Montanas American Indian and rural communities

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA · 2022 · $118,422

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Racial and ethnic minorities, and other medically underserved groups, including rural adults, have been
particularly hard hit by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. In the United States, the
COVID-19 case fatality rate is 25% higher in rural versus urban areas. In Montana, a large, rural Western
state, American Indians (AIs) are 7% of the population but have accounted for 18% of COVID-19 deaths. As of
April 2021, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are widely available to eligible adults throughout the state; however, only
33% of Montana adults are fully vaccinated, and demand for the vaccine is waning. As we transition from
initial implementation to long-term delivery of these vaccines, primary care providers (PCPs) will be
responsible for recommending booster doses, offering the vaccine to newly eligible populations such as
children, and convincing previously unvaccinated people to get the vaccine. In this Center for Population
Health Research (CPHR) community-engaged research project, our long-term goal is to identify culturally
specific and community competent health systems- and provider-level strategies for increasing SARS-CoV-2
vaccine acceptance in AI and rural populations. To achieve this goal, we will collaborate with All Nations Health
Center in Missoula, MT to conduct qualitative interviews with vaccinated and unvaccinated AI and rural adults
to identify causes of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine confidence and hesitancy (Aim 1). Using qualitative content
analyses, we will also identify trusted sources of vaccine information and participant-generated ideas for
promoting vaccine confidence and uptake in these communities. We will also conduct a statewide survey of
PCPs to determine readiness for addressing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy (Aim 2). The survey will include
a module regarding knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, including questions
about confidence in addressing patients’ vaccine questions and concerns, as well as questions regarding
perceptions of future vaccine authorization for children. Due to our collaborative history with the Montana
Department of Public Health and Human Services Immunization Section and health systems throughout the
state, we are positioned to facilitate the rapid translation of this study’s results into immunization services
delivery practice. Furthermore, we anticipate that findings from this study will be generalizable to other states
with similar populations, and our team will serve as a key contributor to the national conversation on effective
strategies to address SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy among vulnerable AI and rural populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10560147
- **Project number:** 3P20GM130418-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
- **Principal Investigator:** Curtis William Noonan
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $118,422
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10560147

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10560147, Community-engaged research to promote SARS-CoV-2 vaccine uptake in Montanas American Indian and rural communities (3P20GM130418-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10560147. Licensed CC0.

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