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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04502056

Covid-19 Messaging to Underserved Communities - 2nd Experiment

The aim of the study is to build off results from our first experiment (NCT04371419) , and test whether messages that acknowledge racial injustice on behalf of institutions affect the retention of knowledge and movement of beliefs and behavior with respect to Covid-19. The investigators will also test the effect of concordance of providers and whether highlighting the unequal burden of the disease has additional effects on knowledge, beliefs and behavior regarding covid-19. The sample will include African American and white adult Americans and oversample those with less than a college degree.

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Key information

Conditions

Covid19 COVID-19 Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Infections Lung Diseases Nidovirales Infections Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

JPAL North America

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States

About this study

Recent data have shown that covid19 is disproportionately infecting and killing African Americans and Latinx people in the United States. Moreover, since our last experiment, the killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police has raised awareness of structural racism in the United States.

The aim of the study is to build off results from our first experiment (NCT04371419) , and test whether messages that acknowledge racial injustice on behalf of institutions affect the retention of knowledge and movement of beliefs and behavior with respect to Covid-19. The investigators will also test the effect of concordance of providers and whether highlighting the unequal burden of the disease has additional effects on knowledge, beliefs and behavior regarding covid-19.The sample will include African American and white adult Americans and oversample those with less than a college degree.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • adults who self-identify as African American or white.
  • an oversample of individuals with less than a college education

Exclusion criteria

Treatment and study plan

Acknowledgement Racial Injustice AMA

Behavioral

Investigators will examine whether acknowledgements of racial inequality are helpful towards improving knowledge retention and behaviors associated with the intervention among participants. In this arm, participants will receive a AMA statement on racial injustice.

African American Sender Acknowledgement

Behavioral

Investigators will also vary the messenger of the acknowledgement sender. In this arm participants receive a African American sender in acknowledgment of AMA

African American Sender in Informational Videos.

Behavioral

Investigators will vary the sender of the informational covid-19 videos. In this arm, participants receive a African American sender in informational videos.

Racial Inequality Highlighted

Behavioral

Investigators will include information on race-specific covid-19 cases and deaths in one variation in the messaging. In this arm, participants receive disproportionate race-specific Covid-19 facts

AMA Acknowledgement Drug Pricing

Behavioral

Investigators will examine whether acknowledgements of racial inequality are helpful towards improving knowledge retention and behaviors associated with the intervention among participants. In this arm, participants receive AMA information on drug pricing

White Sender in Acknowledgement

Behavioral

Investigators will also vary the messenger of the acknowledgement sender. In this arm, participants receive a white sender in the acknowledgement

White Sender in Informational Videos

Behavioral

Investigators will vary the messenger of the informational covid-19 videos. In this arm, participants receive white sender in the informational video

No Racial Inequality Highlighting

Behavioral

In this arm, the disproportionate burden of Covid-19 on communities of color will not be highlighted

Placebo videos

Behavioral

Videos not related to covid-19 will be shown

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence Rate for Knowledge Gaps: Control vs. Any Intervention

    Time frame: The outcome was measured immediately following the intervention in the baseline survey.

    Participants were asked to identify ways to prevent COVID-19 spread and identify four common symptoms. The incidence rate for knowledge gaps is the count of knowledge gaps divided by the maximum possible count: 10.

  2. Incidence Rate for Knowledge Gaps: Control vs. Any Intervention - Follow up

    Time frame: The outcome was measured at a follow-up within 2 weeks following the intervention

    Participants were asked to identify ways to prevent COVID-19 spread and identify four common symptoms. Incidence rate for knowledge gaps is the count of knowledge gaps divided by the maximum possible count: 10.

  3. Incidence Rate for Information-seeking Behavior: Control vs. Any Intervention

    Time frame: The outcome was measured immediately following the intervention in the baseline survey.

    Participants were offered the option of requesting additional information on COVID-19 related resources by clicking on up to five links that included more content. We measured "information seeking behavior" as the number of links for which participants expressed interest, a count variable between 0 (lowest information seeking behavior) and 5 (greatest information seeking behavior). Incidence rate for interest in links is the count of links demanded divided by the maximum possible count: 5.

  4. Incidence Rate - Safety Gap Score: Control vs. Any Intervention

    Time frame: The outcome was measured at a follow-up within 2 weeks following the intervention.

    Participants were asked about how often they engaged in four behaviors of interest: if they wore a mask indoors/outdoors; if they washed their hands; if they followed social distancing guidelines. The safety gap index takes values of 0 (if a participant reported that they always practiced the four behaviors of interest) up to 4 (none). Incidence rate for safety gaps is the count of safety gaps divided by the maximum possible count: 4.

  5. Willingness to Pay (WTP) for Masks: Control vs. Any Intervention

    Time frame: The outcome was measured immediately following the intervention in the baseline survey.

    WTP: the participants will be asked to choose between two masks vs an unrestricted gift card. They will be asked what amount of gift card would make them just as happy to receive two mask versus the gift card.

  6. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) - Knowledge Gap

    Time frame: The outcome was measured immediately following the intervention in the baseline survey.

    Participants were asked to identify ways to prevent COVID-19 spread and identify four common symptoms. The incidence rate for knowledge gaps is the count of knowledge gaps divided by the maximum possible count: 10. The incidence rate ratio compares the incidence rate of participants in Arm A vs. Arm B within the intervention group (i.e. those who received covid-19-related videos), within in the control group (i.e. those who saw placebo videos), or across the intervention and control group. Arms A and B are described in each Arm/Group Title. The overall number of participants analyzed is all equal across 6 arms/groups because the outcome measure data presented below came from a single negative binomial regression.

  7. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) - Knowledge Gap - Follow up

    Time frame: The outcome was measured at a follow-up within 2 weeks following the intervention

    Participants were asked to identify ways to prevent COVID-19 spread and identify four common symptoms. The incidence rate for knowledge gaps is the count of knowledge gaps divided by the maximum possible count: 10. The incidence rate ratio compares the incidence rate of participants in Arm A vs. Arm B within the intervention group (i.e. those who received covid-19-related videos), within in the control group (i.e. those who saw placebo videos), or across the intervention and control group. Arms A and B are described in each Arm/Group Title. The overall number of participants analyzed is all equal across 6 arms/groups because the outcome measure data presented below came from a single negative binomial regression.

  8. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) - Information-seeking Behavior

    Time frame: The outcome was measured immediately following the intervention in the baseline survey.

    Participants were offered the option of requesting additional information on COVID-19 related resources by clicking on up to 5 links that included more content. We measured "information seeking behavior" as the number of links for which participants expressed interest, a count variable between 0 (lowest information seeking behavior) and 5 (greatest information seeking behavior). Incidence rate for interest in links is the count of links demanded divided by the maximum possible count: 5. The incidence rate ratio compares the incidence rate of participants in Arm A vs. Arm B within the intervention group (i.e. those who received covid-19-related videos), within in the control group (i.e. those who saw placebo videos), or across the intervention and control group. Arms A and B are described in each Arm/Group Title. The overall number of participants analyzed is all equal across 6 arms/groups because the outcome measure data presented below came from a single negative binomial regression.

  9. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) - Safety Gap Score

    Time frame: The outcome was measured at a follow-up within 2 weeks following the intervention.

    Participants were asked about how often they engaged in four behaviors of interest: if they wore a mask indoors/outdoors; if they washed their hands; if they followed social distancing guidelines. The safety gap index takes values of 0 (if a participant reported that they always practiced the four behaviors of interest) up to 4 (none). Incidence rate for safety gaps is the count of safety gaps divided by the maximum possible count: 4. The incidence rate ratio compares the incidence rate of participants in Arm A vs. Arm B within the intervention group (i.e. those who received covid-19-related videos), within in the control group (i.e. those who saw placebo videos), or across the intervention and control group. Arms A and B are described in each Arm/Group Title. The overall number of participants analyzed is all equal across 6 arms/groups because the outcome measure data presented below came from a single negative binomial regression.

  10. OLS Regression Coefficients - Willingness to Pay (WTP) for Masks

    Time frame: The outcome was measured immediately following the intervention in the baseline survey.

    WTP: the participants will be asked to choose between two masks vs an unrestricted gift card. They will be asked what amount of gift card would make them just as happy to receive two mask versus the gift card. The regression coefficients compares the incidence rate of participants in Arm A vs. Arm B within the intervention group (i.e. those who received covid-19-related videos), within in the control group (i.e. those who saw placebo videos), or across the intervention and control group. Arms A and B are described in each Arm/Group Title. The overall number of participants analyzed is all equal across 6 arms/groups because the outcome measure data presented below came from a single ordinary least squares (OLS) regression for WTP masks).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

Other

Collaborators

  • Harvard University
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Stanford University
  • Yale University

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Aug 6, 2020
Registry last updated
Jul 27, 2021

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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