Framing the COVID-19 Pandemic for Minority Older Adults Through a Family Lens: Results of a Qualitative Thematic Analysis of Survey Responses

Lauren R Gilbert; Rebecca Mak; Phoebe Lovejoy; Omolola Adepoju

doi:10.1177/23743735221106587

Framing the COVID-19 Pandemic for Minority Older Adults Through a Family Lens: Results of a Qualitative Thematic Analysis of Survey Responses

J Patient Exp. 2022 Jun 9:9:23743735221106587. doi: 10.1177/23743735221106587. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Lauren R Gilbert^{1

2}, Rebecca Mak², Phoebe Lovejoy², Omolola Adepoju^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
² Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.

Abstract

This study assessed COVID-19 experiences among minority older adults in Houston, Texas. An electronic survey was administered to community-dwelling older adults, and the open-ended responses of 458 minority adults were analyzed using thematic analysis. Through an inductive coding approach, 2 unexpected main themes emerged regarding family: fear of COVID-19 spreading among their family and modifications to family and community interactions. These older minority adults framed their personal COVID-19 experiences through the lens of family and their community, demonstrating the importance of integrating family considerations into pandemic planning, response, and recovery efforts for minority older adults.

Keywords: COVID-19; community health planning; family; minority group; patient perspectives/narratives; qualitative methods.

Grants and funding

R25 DA035163/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States