The impact of theory-based messages on COVID-19 vaccination intentions: a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
subject: covid-19, Vaccination, Randomised controlled trial, protocol, Vaccine hesitancy, messaging
description: Abstract Objectives Uptake of vaccination against COVID-19 is key to controlling the pandemic. However, a significant proportion of people report that they do not intend to have a vaccine, often because of concerns they have about vaccine side effects or safety. This study will assess the impact of theory-based messages on COVID-19 vaccination intention, drawing on the Necessity-Concerns framework to address previously reported beliefs and concerns about COVID-19 vaccination, and assess whether hypothesised variables (illness coherence, perceived necessity and concerns) mediate change in vaccination intention. Trial design Prospective, parallel two-arm, individually randomised (1:1) trial. Participants Adults aged over 18 years, living in Scotland and not vaccinated for COVID-19. A quota sampling approach will be used with the aim of achieving a nationally representative sample on gender, region and ethnic group, with oversampling of individuals with no educational qualifications or with only school-level qualifications. Intervention and comparator Intervention: Brief exposure to online text and image-based messages addressing necessity beliefs and concerns about COVID-19 vaccination. Comparator: Brief exposure to online text and image-based messages containing general information about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination. Main outcomes Primary outcome: Self-reported intention to receive a vaccine for COVID-19 if invited, immediately post-intervention. Secondary outcomes: Self-reported COVID-19 illness coherence, perceived necessity of a COVID-19 vaccine and concerns about a COVID-19 vaccine, immediately post-intervention. Randomisation Quasi-randomisation performed automatically by online survey software, by creating a variable derived from the number of seconds in the minute that the participant initiates the survey. Participants starting the survey at 0-14 or 30-44 seconds in the minute are allocated to the intervention and 15-29 or 45-59 seconds to the comparator.…
creator: Marie Kotzur, Alex McConnachie, Ben Young, Lauren Gatting, Carissa Bonner, Julie Ayre, Carys Batcup, Kirsten McCaffery, Ronan O’Carroll, Kathryn A. Robb
source: Epidemiology and Health
publisher: Korean Society of Epidemiology
date: 2021
coverage: Medicine (General)