Trial Outcomes & Findings for Improving Communication During a Pandemic Flu Outbreak (NCT NCT03431012)

Results Overview

Mean adherence intentions post- exposure to the health information in the 4 groups. Intentions were measured by self-report items: participants were asked to agree with three statements about their intentions to take antivirals as recommended in the hypothetical scenario (on 9-point scale, where 1=strongly disagree to 9=strongly agree). The scores reported below represent a composite variable 'change in intentions', which reflects the average of the three items that compose it.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

349 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Straight after exposure to the health messages

Results posted on

2019-12-16

Participant Flow

Of 349 submitted questionnaires, 30 were incomplete and 103 were deemed to be invalid, leaving to analyse 216 valid questionnaires.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure	Virus Agency/Negative Attribute Framing Participants in this condition, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received health messages describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to the pandemic flu virus itself (Virus Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of experiencing side effects after using them (Negative Framing). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects	Human Agency/Negative Attribute Framing Participants in this arm, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received a health message describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to humans (Human Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of experiencing side effects after using them (Negative Framing health messages). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects	Human Agency /Positive Attribute Framing Participants in this arm, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received a health message describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to humans (Human Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of not experiencing side effects after using them (Positive Framing). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects	Virus Agency /Positive Attribute Framing Participants in this arm, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received a health message describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to the pandemic flu virus itself (Virus Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of not experiencing side effects after using them (Positive Framing). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects
Overall Study STARTED	47	60	56	53
Overall Study COMPLETED	47	60	56	53
Overall Study NOT COMPLETED	0	0	0	0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Improving Communication During a Pandemic Flu Outbreak

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure	Virus Agency/Negative Attribute Framing n=47 Participants Participants in this condition, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received health messages describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to the pandemic flu virus itself (Virus Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of experiencing side effects after using them (Negative Framing). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects	Human Agency/Negative Attribute Framing n=60 Participants Participants in this arm, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received a health message describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to humans (Human Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of experiencing side effects after using them (Negative Framing health messages). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects	Human Agency /Positive Attribute Framing n=56 Participants Participants in this arm, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received a health message describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to humans (Human Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of not experiencing side effects after using them (Positive Framing). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects	Virus Agency /Positive Attribute Framing n=53 Participants Participants in this arm, after reading a hypothetical scenario, received a health message describing the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to the pandemic flu virus itself (Virus Agency Assignment framing), whilst describing the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of not experiencing side effects after using them (Positive Framing). Agency Assignment framing: Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…') Attribute framing: Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing or not side effects	Total n=216 Participants Total of all reporting groups
Age, Customized Age Range · 18-24 years	22 Participants n=93 Participants	25 Participants n=4 Participants	21 Participants n=27 Participants	15 Participants n=483 Participants	83 Participants n=36 Participants
Age, Customized Age Range · 25-34 years	16 Participants n=93 Participants	21 Participants n=4 Participants	24 Participants n=27 Participants	21 Participants n=483 Participants	82 Participants n=36 Participants
Age, Customized Age Range · 35-49 years	7 Participants n=93 Participants	14 Participants n=4 Participants	7 Participants n=27 Participants	13 Participants n=483 Participants	41 Participants n=36 Participants
Age, Customized Age Range · 50+ years	2 Participants n=93 Participants	0 Participants n=4 Participants	4 Participants n=27 Participants	4 Participants n=483 Participants	10 Participants n=36 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Female	28 Participants n=93 Participants	35 Participants n=4 Participants	33 Participants n=27 Participants	28 Participants n=483 Participants	124 Participants n=36 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Male	19 Participants n=93 Participants	25 Participants n=4 Participants	23 Participants n=27 Participants	25 Participants n=483 Participants	92 Participants n=36 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity · White	29 Participants n=93 Participants	51 Participants n=4 Participants	42 Participants n=27 Participants	43 Participants n=483 Participants	165 Participants n=36 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity · Other	18 Participants n=93 Participants	9 Participants n=4 Participants	14 Participants n=27 Participants	10 Participants n=483 Participants	51 Participants n=36 Participants
Baseline Intentions to take the antivirals as recommended	8.16 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.21 • n=93 Participants	7.93 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.19 • n=4 Participants	7.95 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.19 • n=27 Participants	8.26 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.20 • n=483 Participants	8.08 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.10 • n=36 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Straight after exposure to the health messages

Population: ANCOVAs, setting baseline intentions as a covariate, were performed to determine whether post-exposure mean adherence intentions differed between groups.

Mean adherence intentions post- exposure to the health information in the 4 groups. Intentions were measured by self-report items: participants were asked to agree with three statements about their intentions to take antivirals as recommended in the hypothetical scenario (on 9-point scale, where 1=strongly disagree to 9=strongly agree). The scores reported below represent a composite variable 'change in intentions', which reflects the average of the three items that compose it.