Hattem published for communication campaign

Amy Hattem is a teaching instructor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion.

Amy Hattem, a teaching instructor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion, was part of the first National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored initiative promoting community-wide, at-home, rapid antigen testing for COVID-19. The team’s work was published in the open access article, “Say Yes! COVID Test: A Health Communication Campaign to Encourage Use of Rapid, At-Home Antigen Testing in Underserved and Historically Marginalized Communities.”

As noted in the abstract, the focus were adult residents of Pitt County and in Tennessee (Chattanooga, Hamilton County), with an emphasis on underserved and historically marginalized populations. The campaign included digital, out-of-home, television and radio advertising, in addition to public relations and organic social media.

Results included 26,582 free test kits distributed in Pitt County and 39,453 in Hamilton County, equaling a combined 1.6 million tests across both communities.