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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04377581

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

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Public Health Corona Virus Infection Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Demography Global Health Infections News Nidovirales Infections Pandemics Perception RNA Virus Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Penn State College of Medicine

Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, United States

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 years of age

Exclusion criteria

  • Below 18 years of age

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Knowledge and Confidence in Knowledge of COVID-19

    Time frame: 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.

  2. Beliefs about the effectiveness of public health recommendations

    Time frame: 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.

  3. Intent to comply with public health recommendations

    Time frame: 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.

  4. Perception of Risk of COVID-19 and other health threats

    Time frame: 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

  5. Perceptions of trust in common health information sources

    Time frame: 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.

  6. Single most trusted news source

    Time frame: 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 outcomes

  1. Intention to change consumption of news because of COVID-19 (yes/no)

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.

    Participants are asked if COVID-19 will change how they consume news (y/n)

  2. For participants who will change their news consumption, in what way will they change?

    Time frame: 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.

  3. Secondary information sources

    Time frame: 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.

  4. Concerns about COVID-19

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.

    Free-text response invited to describe their concerns regarding COVID-19.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Other

Collaborators

  • The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)
  • The Department of Family and Community Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine
  • The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
  • The Social Science Research Institute

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
May 6, 2020
Registry last updated
Jul 16, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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