Covid19, Vaccination
Conditions
Keywords
vaccine hesitancy, vaccination uptake, messaging, illness beliefs, treatment beliefs
Brief summary
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 its side effects or safety. It is important to identify ways to communicate information about the vaccines that facilitate informed decisions rather than promoting uptake through coercion. This study will assess whether theory-based messages can change beliefs and increase intentions to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Scotland. The messages will be based on publicly available information about the need for COVID-19 vaccination and the safety of the vaccines, and structured to address specific types of treatment beliefs. Participants will be randomised to either a group shown the messages or a control group shown general information messages about the COVID-19 virus and vaccination programme. By comparing the two groups we aim to test what impact the theory-based messages have on intentions and beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTheory-based messages
COVID-19 vaccination information structured to address vaccination necessity and concerns.
BEHAVIORALGeneral messages
General messages about the COVID-19 virus and the vaccination programme.
Sponsors
University of Glasgow
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Masking description
Participants will not be blinded to the assigned intervention but will not be informed of the purpose of the study until they have completed the follow-up survey, at which point they will be debriefed. Investigators will be blinded to allocation because all procedures will be undertaken digitally and remotely without any investigator contact with participants.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the trial * Aged 18 years or above * Resident in Scotland
Exclusion criteria
* Received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 vaccination intention measured by a single item and aggregated as the proportion of intenders. | Immediately post-intervention | Participants will be asked: If you were invited to have a COVID-19 vaccination would you take the vaccine? Those responding yes, probably or yes, definitely will be treated as intenders. Those responding don't know, probably not or definitely not will be treated as non-intenders. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mean COVID-19 illness coherence score as assessed by the IPQ-R | Immediately post-intervention | Self-reported COVID-19 illness coherence as assessed by the the illness coherence subscale of the revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), with a minimum score of 5, a maximum score of 25 and a higher score representing greater personal understanding of COVID-19. |
| Mean perceived necessity score as assessed by the BMQ | Immediately post-intervention | Self-reported perceived necessity of a COVID-19 vaccine as assessed by the Specific-Necessity subscale of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), with a minimum score of 5, a maximum score of 25 and a higher score representing greater perceived necessity of a COVID-19 vaccine. |
| Mean perceived concerns score as assessed by the BMQ | Immediately post-intervention | Self-reported perceived concerns about a COVID-19 vaccine as assessed by the Specific-Concerns subscale of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), with a minimum score of 5, a maximum score of 25 and a higher score representing greater perceived concerns about a COVID-19 vaccine. |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed