COVID-19 Health Messaging Efficacy and Its Impact on Public Perception, Anxiety, and Behavior

July 14, 2020 updated by: Robert Lennon, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Effective communication is a critical component of managing pandemic outbreaks like COVID-19. This study explores COVID-19 related public knowledge, perceptions, belief in public health recommendations, intent to comply with public health recommendations, trust in information sources and preferred information sources. Participants are invited to include detailed free-text answers to make sure their COVID-19 experiences are heard.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

The survey is available online in 23 languages. Free-text responses in native languages are highly encouraged. A robust global response will not only provide invaluable information to inform clinicians, healthcare institutions and governments about how to optimize the content and venue of COVID-19 messaging, but will help write a Story of COVID in the words and languages of people from all over the world.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

18251

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, 17033
        • Penn State College of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Human Adults

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Below 18 years of age

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Knowledge and Confidence in Knowledge of COVID-19
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Binary knowledge measures (true/false questions pertaining to COVID-19) each have a corresponding 5-point confidence score, the inverse of which generates a weighting variable. Weighted knowledge scores will be analyzed via a generalized linear mixed-methods effects model with a logistic link function and a random effect for the participant, generating a probability of correct response from 0 to 1.0.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Beliefs about the effectiveness of public health recommendations
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Participants are asked, "Do you think that following these CDC recommendations will decrease the spread of COVID-19 in your community?" and select from a 5-point scale, Minimum: 1=certainly not; Maximum: 5 = most certainly.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Intent to comply with public health recommendations
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Participants are asked, "Will you follow these recommendations?" and select from a 5-point scale, Minimum: 1=certainly not; Maximum: 5 = most certainly.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Perception of Risk of COVID-19 and other health threats
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.

Participants are asked, "How likely is it that you will be diagnosed with any of the following diseases over the next year?" and rate their perceived likelihood of diagnosis for Measles, Flu, Lung Cancer, Ebola and COVID-19 on a 5 point scale. Minimum: 1, very unlikely; Maximum: 5, very likely.

Participants are asked, "How serious do you think infection with any of the following diseases would be (or is) to your own personal health?" and rate their perceived seriousness of diagnosis for Measles, Flu, Lung Cancer, Ebola and COVID-19 on a 5 point scale. Minimum: 1, Not at all Serious; Maximum: 5, Very Serious
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Perceptions of trust in common health information sources
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Participants are asked the extent to which they trust common information sources: The World Health Organization, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the European Commission, the participant's national government, the participant's local government, and the participant's personal healthcare provider. Participants rate on a 5 point scale. Minimum: 1, Not at all; Maximum: 2, Completely. (As these sources are not recognized in all places, participants may select "Not Applicable" in lieu of ranking.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Single most trusted news source
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Participants are asked to identify their single most trusted source of news through selection from a pre-generated list or via free-text.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intention to change consumption of news because of COVID-19 (yes/no)
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Participants are asked if COVID-19 will change how they consume news (y/n)
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
For participants who will change their news consumption, in what way will they change?
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Participants who answer, "Yes" to Outcome 7 are asked to provide a free-text response to describe how their consumption of news will change.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Secondary information sources
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Participants are asked to identify all other sources of information via selection from pre-generated menu or free-text.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Concerns about COVID-19
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 months.
Free-text response invited to describe their concerns regarding COVID-19.
Through study completion, an average of 3 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Collaborators

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
The Social Science Research Institute
The Department of Family and Community Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Robert P Lennon, MD, JD, Penn State College of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 9, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 10, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

July 10, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 30, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 4, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

May 6, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 16, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 14, 2020

Last Verified

July 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STUDY00014798

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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