The refinement of an online, theory-based intervention to decrease COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Canadian adults: Phase I of the iPROTECT Study
Date
2023-08-24
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Abstract
Background: Approximately 6.9 million deaths due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) have occurred worldwide. While around 86% of Canadians are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, only 55% have received a booster dose. Current public health strategies to
address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are inconsistent with health behaviour change theory. Self- determination theory (SDT) is an evidence-based framework which seeks to enhance individual motivation for behaviour change. The purpose of the present study is to refine and evaluate the preliminary effects of an online intervention grounded in SDT to address COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Canadian adults, using multi-phasic, pilot mixed methods studies. The present study is divided into two phases (Phases I a and b). Methods: Phase Ia: A purposive sample of 19 Canadian adults (18+) were recruited to participate in a one-on-one- semi-structured interview guided by the Think Aloud method to provide their perspectives on the intervention. Qualitative data was analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Phase Ib: A purposive sample of 70 Canadian adults completed the intervention to assess whether it produced indications of a preliminary clinical signal (i.e., defined by at least 40% of participants increasing their likelihood of receiving an additional COVID-19 vaccine one-week post-intervention). Acceptability and usability measures were collected as secondary outcomes. Results: Phase Ia revealed 4 overarching themes: (1) Normalization video is neutral and emphasizes agency, (2) Intervention language is impartial and accessible, (3) User experiences with the intervention are acceptable, and (4) Feedback for intervention refinement. Phase Ib demonstrated that a preliminary clinical signal was not achieved (20% of participants increased the likelihood at one-week follow-up). However, acceptability (uMARS Total App Quality = 4.38 out of 5) and usability (Total SUS = 80.72 out of 100) measures revealed high participant ratings. Conclusion: This preliminary work provides support for high levels of intervention usability and acceptability. Additional testing to assess for a clinical signal threshold should be conducted prior to progression toward proof-of-concept pilot testing.
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COVID-19 vaccination, vaccination hesitancy
Citation
Seidel, S. (2023). The refinement of an online, theory-based intervention to decrease COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Canadian adults: phase I of the iPROTECT study (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.