Impact of educational videos about osteoarthritis, diet, and weight management

This study aims to understand whether communication strategy surrounding diet matters to an individual’s perceived intentions to improve dietary choices. To do so, we will undertake a randomised online study, evaluating two new videos against a currently publicly available, standard informational control video. Creation of each new video was driven and co-designed by 14 people with lived experience of osteoarthritis (consumers), based on consumer recommendations from our previous co-design work (e.g., messaging content/strategies) (DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2023.03.004). We collaborated with the consumers at the equal partnership level as co-researchers to create the videos. Both new videos address the importance of diet for osteoarthritis and making healthy, anti-inflammatory dietary choices (for eating/cooking), but each uses a different communication strategy. The two new videos are: 1) Contemporary informational animation 2) Narrative storytelling video There will be three intervention arms: Arm 1: Contemporary informational animation + narrative storytelling (6 minutes, 39 seconds) Arm 2: Contemporary informational animation alone (3 minutes, 11 seconds) Arm 3: Narrative storytelling alone (3 minutes, 28 seconds) Contemporary informational animation: This video is based on how information is typically presented to people with osteoarthritis (i.e., scientific and statistical facts). However, novel features of this video include that it was co-designed with consumers to ensure the scientific information was presented in a consumer-friendly and persuasive manner. It promotes healthy eating rather than weight loss as the main goal for osteoarthritis management using recent scientific findings underpinned by contemporary pain science (e.g., the role of inflammation in osteoarthritis and the effect of diet on inflammation, and thus, osteoarthritis; and challenging the myth that carrying extra weight causes osteoarthritis by making the joint ‘wear out’). The co-design process to create the animation used an iterative approach as follows: 1. Research team drafted a transcript based on consumer recommendations from our previous co-design work (messaging content/strategies), expert nutritionist/dietitian input, recent scientific discoveries about osteoarthritis, and our consumer-facing osteoarthritis resources (e.g., the Knee Osteoarthritis Handbook published by Noigroup). 2. Consumers provided feedback on the draft transcript (via a 1-hour Zoom workshop and/or written feedback) with guiding questions for feedback. 3. Research team updated the transcript and professional animator created a draft animation. 4. Consumers provided feedback on the draft video (via a 1-hour Zoom workshop and/or written feedback) with guiding questions for feedback. 5. Research team updated the transcript based on consumer feedback. 6. Professional animator created the animation prototype to be evaluated in the current study. Narrative storytelling video: This video depicts a real person with osteoarthritis (Mr Cookfulness) who describes how they use the act of cooking healthy, using anti-inflammatory ingredients, as therapy. Our consumer partners told us that storytelling/testimonials are a powerful method of inspiring health behaviour change. This is supported by recent research showing that testimonials from people with shared lived experiences, which demonstrate the potential for personal change, can positively influence health-related beliefs, intentions, and behaviours for major public health problems. The co-design process to create the video used an iterative approach as follows: 1. Mr Cookfulness created a series of five videos telling his story and providing cooking demonstrations. 2. Consumers provided feedback on the draft videos (via a 1-hour Zoom workshop and/or written feedback) with guiding questions for feedback. 3. Research team prioritised consumer feedback and gathered expert nutritionist/dietitian feedback to assist Mr Cookfulness to create a summary video to be evaluated in the current study. Each video will be embedded into an online survey platform (Qualtrics). Individual participants will view the video within their own online browser (e.g., using a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone). Participants will be able to watch the video as many times as they would like before proceeding to the post-video questionnaires, and the video will also be available for review while participants complete the post-video questionnaires. To assess intervention adherence, participants will be asked if they watched the entire video at least once before completing the post-video questionnaires (response options: Yes / No). We will also record the amount of time each participant spends on the video viewing page of the survey to check whether or not the participant spent the full video run-time on the page.