Tailoring of Vaccine-Focused Messages: Moral Foundations

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Childhood Vaccinations
• Interventions: Behavioral: Baseline Survey; Behavioral: Pre-intervention Survey; Behavioral: Morally Congruent Message; Behavioral: Morally Non-Congruent Message; Behavioral: Control Message; Behavioral: Post-Intervention Survey

• Registration Number: NCT02851459
• Lead Sponsor: Emory University

Brief Summary

This study is the first phase of a trial examining decision making about vaccines. This phase tests the impact of targeted vaccine-focused health messages on vaccine beliefs held by parents of young children and pre-adolescents. The participant's vaccine beliefs will be assessed at baseline. Two weeks later, the participant's moral matrix will be assessed. A vaccine-related message that appeals to the individual's three most or least emphasized moral foundations will then be presented. Immediately afterwards, vaccine beliefs will be assessed to determine the impact of the message.

Detailed Description

Vaccination of young children helps protect this population against a variety of diseases. Children are especially at risk for contraction of and complications from diseases due to their vulnerable immune systems. New evidence-based messages are needed to maintain and increase vaccination uptake among this group. An emphasis on different values is related to decisions parents make about vaccines. The purpose of this study is to develop, implement, and evaluate messages that focus on different aspects of values to impact vaccination attitudes among parents of young children.

Parents emphasize different moral foundations when deciding whether or not to vaccinate children. Based on this research, a messaging intervention with parents of children who are 12 years of age or younger will be conducted. These messages will aid in assessment of how different moral foundations impact attitudes towards vaccination and intent to vaccinate.

This study tests the impact of targeted vaccine-focused health messages on vaccine beliefs held by parents of young children and pre-adolescents. The participant's vaccine beliefs will be assessed at baseline. Two weeks later, the participant's moral matrix will be assessed. A vaccine-related message that appeals to the individual's three most or least emphasized moral foundations will then be presented. Immediately afterwards, vaccine beliefs will be assessed to determine the impact of the message.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2016-07-28
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-07-28
• Study Start: 2016-08
• Study First Posted: 2016-08-01
• Primary Completion: 2016-10
• Study Completion: 2016-10
• Status Verified: 2017-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-03-09
• Last Update Posted: 2017-03-10

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 850

Inclusion Criteria

• Have at least one child ≤ 12 years of age
• Reside in the United States

Read More

Exclusion Criteria

• Have previously participated in this study

Read More

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Morally Congruent Message	Pre-intervention Survey	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three most-emphasized moral foundations.
Morally Congruent Message	Morally Congruent Message	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three most-emphasized moral foundations.
Morally Congruent Message	Baseline Survey	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three most-emphasized moral foundations.
Morally Non-Congruent Message	Pre-intervention Survey	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three least-emphasized moral foundations.
Morally Non-Congruent Message	Morally Non-Congruent Message	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three least-emphasized moral foundations.
Control Message	Control Message	Participants randomized to the control arm will be provided with a short passage about the costs and benefits of bird feeding.
Control Message	Post-Intervention Survey	Participants randomized to the control arm will be provided with a short passage about the costs and benefits of bird feeding.
Morally Non-Congruent Message	Post-Intervention Survey	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three least-emphasized moral foundations.
Control Message	Baseline Survey	Participants randomized to the control arm will be provided with a short passage about the costs and benefits of bird feeding.
Control Message	Pre-intervention Survey	Participants randomized to the control arm will be provided with a short passage about the costs and benefits of bird feeding.
Morally Congruent Message	Post-Intervention Survey	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three most-emphasized moral foundations.
Morally Non-Congruent Message	Baseline Survey	Participants randomized to this arm will receive a vaccine-related message developed to appeal to their three least-emphasized moral foundations.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Overall change in attitude towards vaccines	Week 2	Number of caregivers experiencing a change in attitude towards vaccines.
Intent to have their children vaccinated	Week 2	Number of caregivers opting to have their children vaccinated.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Emory University School Of Public Health - Only Online Recruitment; 🇺🇸 Atlanta, Georgia, United States