COVID-19 Health Messaging Efficacy and Its Impact on Public Perception, Anxiety, and Behavior

Completed

• Conditions: Global Health; Demography; Perception; Public Health; Pandemics; Corona Virus Infection; News

• Registration Number: NCT04377581
• Lead Sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Brief Summary

Effective communication is a critical component of managing pandemic outbreaks like COVID-19. This study explores COVID-19 related public knowledge, perceptions, belief in public health recommendations, intent to comply with public health recommendations, trust in information sources and preferred information sources. Participants are invited to include detailed free-text answers to make sure their COVID-19 experiences are heard.

Detailed Description

The survey is available online in 23 languages. Free-text responses in native languages are highly encouraged. A robust global response will not only provide invaluable information to inform clinicians, healthcare institutions and governments about how to optimize the content and venue of COVID-19 messaging, but will help write a Story of COVID in the words and languages of people from all over the world.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2020-04-09
• Study First Submitted: 2020-04-30
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-05-04
• Study First Posted: 2020-05-06
• Status Verified: 2020-07
• Primary Completion: 2020-07-10
• Study Completion: 2020-07-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-07-14
• Last Update Posted: 2020-07-16

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 18251

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 years of age

Exclusion Criteria

• Below 18 years of age

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Beliefs about the effectiveness of public health recommendations	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants are asked, "Do you think that following these CDC recommendations will decrease the spread of COVID-19 in your community?" and select from a 5-point scale, Minimum: 1=certainly not; Maximum: 5 = most certainly.
Intent to comply with public health recommendations	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants are asked, "Will you follow these recommendations?" and select from a 5-point scale, Minimum: 1=certainly not; Maximum: 5 = most certainly.
Knowledge and Confidence in Knowledge of COVID-19	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Binary knowledge measures (true/false questions pertaining to COVID-19) each have a corresponding 5-point confidence score, the inverse of which generates a weighting variable. Weighted knowledge scores will be analyzed via a generalized linear mixed-methods effects model with a logistic link function and a random effect for the participant, generating a probability of correct response from 0 to 1.0.
Perception of Risk of COVID-19 and other health threats	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants are asked, "How likely is it that you will be diagnosed with any of the following diseases over the next year?" and rate their perceived likelihood of diagnosis for Measles, Flu, Lung Cancer, Ebola and COVID-19 on a 5 point scale. Minimum: 1, very unlikely; Maximum: 5, very likely.; Participants are asked, "How serious do you think infection with any of the following diseases would be (or is) to your own personal health?" and rate their perceived seriousness of diagnosis for Measles, Flu, Lung Cancer, Ebola and COVID-19 on a 5 point scale. Minimum: 1, Not at all Serious; Maximum: 5, Very Serious
Perceptions of trust in common health information sources	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants are asked the extent to which they trust common information sources: The World Health Organization, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the European Commission, the participant's national government, the participant's local government, and the participant's personal healthcare provider. Participants rate on a 5 point scale. Minimum: 1, Not at all; Maximum: 2, Completely. (As these sources are not recognized in all places, participants may select "Not Applicable" in lieu of ranking.
Single most trusted news source	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants are asked to identify their single most trusted source of news through selection from a pre-generated list or via free-text.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Concerns about COVID-19	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Free-text response invited to describe their concerns regarding COVID-19.
Intention to change consumption of news because of COVID-19 (yes/no)	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants are asked if COVID-19 will change how they consume news (y/n)
For participants who will change their news consumption, in what way will they change?	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants who answer, "Yes" to Outcome 7 are asked to provide a free-text response to describe how their consumption of news will change.
Secondary information sources	Through study completion, an average of 3 months.	Participants are asked to identify all other sources of information via selection from pre-generated menu or free-text.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Penn State College of Medicine; 🇺🇸 Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States