Community Engagement, Physical Wellbeing, Social Connectedness
Conditions
Keywords
Virtual Intervention, Setting Goals, Civic Participation, Social Connection, Physical Well-being, Anxiety and Distress
Brief summary
This study evaluates a virtual program designed to boost the physical well-being goals, civic engagement, social connection, and anxiety of U.S. adults.
Detailed description
This single-blind, cluster randomized controlled trial aims to develop a virtual intervention designed to support US adults who wish to work with others to achieve physical wellbeing goals, improve social connectedness, promote community engagement, and reduce anxiety. Research coordinators randomize 10 participants to facilitator-led intervention sessions, and 10 to self-run discussion sessions by assigning random computer generated codes, sorting in ascending order, and alternating "control" and "experimental" assignments. This project is funded by the Annenberg Endowment of the Division of Communication Science.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVirtual Community Intervention
Participants will attend three Virtual intervention sessions, hosted on Zoom and facilitated by trained research team members. Co-facilitators (comprised of lab staff) will also be there to ensure no technical difficulties and record the meeting. Sessions will be held at the same time each week for three weeks. After each session, facilitators will be assessed for fidelity based on feedback from the session quality assessment survey. Every session will have its primary focus, respectively: Session 1 will focus on fostering social connections. Session 2 will focus on setting mental/physical wellbeing goals. Session 3 will focus on pursuing similar goals for their community. During the sessions, participants will work together and offer mutual support under the direction of the facilitator. Furthermore, facilitators will communicate with participants between sessions to check in on their progress toward their goals.
BEHAVIORALControl
Participants will attend three 90-minute Virtual self-help sessions, hosted on Zoom. Sessions will be held at the same time each week for three weeks, in parallel to the experimental condition. First, the co-facilitator will let participants into the Zoom room and begin the recording. After they introduce themselves, they will remain on mute/camera off for the entire meeting to handle technical difficulties or intervene when violations occur, for example, using inappropriate language. Co-facilitators may also interact with participants through the chat to provide referrals. Then, the discussion leader will explain their role and ask everyone to introduce themselves. As a group, they will set some ground rules. Then, the discussion leaders will guide the discussion, using the Self-Help Session Manual as a reference, which provides structure and reference questions to facilitate discussion. Beyond this guideline, participants can discuss anything they decide as a group.
Sponsors
University of Pennsylvania
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Intervention model description
Cohorts will be randomized to the experimental or control group.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age: 18 years or older * Residency: Must live in a U.S. state (including D.C. and U.S. territories) * Technology access: Reliable internet, a webcam, and Zoom capability in a private space * Language: Able to read and speak English (all materials and sessions are in English)
Exclusion criteria
* Inability to provide informed consent * Under 18 years of age * Not living in the U.S. * Lack of reliable access to the required technology (e.g., internet-connected device) * Unable to read and understand English at the level required for full participation in the study activities
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Wellbeing Goal Progress | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | How much progress have you made towards this goal? (1, No progress \| 2, Little progress \| 3, Some progress \| 4, Substantial progress \| 5, Goal achieved) |
| Civic Participation | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | In the past month (baseline)/since the beginning of this study (follow-up) have you participated in or taken action through a group or organization to improve yourself, your community, or help others? (0, No \| 1, Yes) |
| Social Connection | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | In the past month (baseline)/Since joining the study (follow-up), have you started a new social connection or re-established an old one? (0, No \| 1, Yes) |
| Anxiety | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | On a scale from 1, None of the time \| 2, A little of the time \| 3, Some of the time \| 4, Most of the time \| 5, All of the time ... * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel anxious? * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel restless or fidgety? * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel that everything took effort? * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel so sad that nothing could cheer you up? Mean of 4 item raw score. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attitude toward Health | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | I feel confident in my ability to seek help for my health problems. I feel confident in my ability to solve my health problems. I feel comfortable with challenges related to solving my health problems. Response Scale: 1, Not confident at all \| 2, Slightly \| 3, Somewhat \| 4, Confident \| 5, Very confident Score: Mean of 1-5 Scores |
| Attitude toward Social Connections | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | How easy is it to get help from members of your community if you need it? 1, Impossible \| 2, Difficult \| 3, Possible \| 4, Easy \| 5, Very easy How often do you feel that there are people you can turn to? 1, Never \| 2, Sometimes \| 3, Often \| 4, Most of the time \| 5, Always To what extent were you hesitant to tell others what you want or need from them? 1, Very much \| 2, Quite a bit \| 3, Somewhat \| 4, A little \| 5, Not at all To what extent are you willing to seek support from others if you need it? 1, Not at all \| 2, A little \| 3, Somewhat \| 4, Quite a bit \| 5, Very much When you feel afraid, anxious, or uncertain, how often do you seek help or support from others in your life (e.g., reaching out to neighbors, joining support groups, attending social events?) 1, Never \| 2, Sometimes \| 3, Often \| 4, Most of the time \| 5, Always Score: Mean of 1-5 Scores |
| Political Trust | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | How much can you trust the federal government to do what is right regarding the social changes you want to make? (1, No trust \| 2, Little \| 3, Some \| 4, Quite a lot \| 5, A great deal ) How often can you trust your state government to do what is right when it comes to handling the social changes you want to make? (1, Never \| 2, Rarely \| 3, Sometimes \| 4, Often \| 5, Always ) How often can you trust your local government to do what is right when it comes to handling the social changes you want to make? (1, Never \| 2, Rarely \| 3, Sometimes \| 4, Often \| 5, Always ) Score: Mean of 1-5 scores |
| Attitude toward Problem Solving | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | When I face problems, I am confident that I can solve them. How confident do you feel in your ability to achieve your goals? How comfortable are you with taking on new challenges? Response Scale: 1, Almost never \| 2, Rarely \| 3, Sometimes \| 4, Often \| 5, Almost always Score: Mean of 1-5 Scores |
| Political Participation | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | How likely or unlikely are you to vote in the next local, state, or national elections? (1, Extremely unlikely \| 2, Unlikely \| 3, Neutral \| 4, Likely \| 5, Extremely likely) |
| Attitude toward Civic Engagement | Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up | I feel responsible for the well-being of others in groups I belong to I am committed to help others in groups I belong to I believe that all citizens have a responsibility to their fellow citizens I believe that it is important to be informed of societal issues Response Scale: 1, Strongly disagree \| 2, Disagree \| 3, Neither \| 4, Agree \| 5, Strongly agree In the past month (Baseline)/Since the beginning of the study (follow-up), how concerned, if at all, were you about others with whom you are connected? Response Scale: 1, Not at all \| 2, Slightly \| 3, Moderately \| 4, Very \| 5, Extremely Score: Mean of 1-5 Scores |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORDolores Albarracin, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Outcome results
None listed