CClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT04876885Updated May 11, 2021

The Future of Viral Communications: Video-Based Health Promotion Strategies for COVID-19 Vaccinations

An interventional study of Educational video in Health Promotion, Health Education and COVID-19 Vaccines, sponsored by McMaster University. Status unknown. Open to participants aged 16 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-05-11.

Sponsored by McMaster University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified May 2021), so the status shown — last known as Not yet recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
100
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
16 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The investigators aim to study whether education, in the form of three two-minute educational videos about COVID-19 vaccine development and dissemination, reduces vaccine hesitancy and increases intent to vaccinate. The investigators intend to use insights from this research study to develop a framework for video-based 'education prescriptions' that reduce vaccine hesitancy and increase intent to vaccinate across a number of infectious diseases. This may have wide-ranging impact: inform practice for health promotions and public health, as well as support infectious disease related work done by healthcare professionals (e.g. those working in travel medicine, where vaccination rates are also low).

Read the detailed description

The World Health Organization listed vaccine hesitancy as one of the leading threats to global health in 2019. Vaccine hesitancy is defined as the "reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines". Given the novelty of the COVID-19 pandemic, hesitancy towards use of COVID-19 vaccine may be linked to the process of vaccine development and clinical trial validation of safety and/or efficacy, rather than hesitations regarding vaccines in general. This has already inspired several education campaigns. It is unclear whether education leads to reduced hesitance and whether reduced hesitance leads to increased intent to vaccinate. Further, early surveys demonstrating high COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and intent to vaccinate may not reflect actual uptake, as shown by comparisons to flu vaccination uptake at a time when flu vaccines are both available, validated and largely freely accessible. Inspiring vaccine confidence is a multifaceted challenge, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on one of its aspects, specifically the public health approach to health information dissemination. The lack of evidence-based knowledge and preparedness coupled with pandemic fatigue impacts the uptake of recommended health behaviours and puts human lives at risk. Different people adopt different responses to health promotion materials based on a variety of socioeconomic factors. For example, in an American study on vaccination in children, it was found that children who had never received a vaccine tended to come from affluent, college educated families, while those who had only received some recommended vaccinations came from minority families that were single parent, low-income and less likely to have completed higher education. Almost 50% of the parents of the unvaccinated children cited concerns about vaccine safety. The strength of beliefs leading to hesitancy may change the ability to affect intent to vaccinate. These beliefs may be contributed to by cultural dimensions in Canada and cultures of recently immigrated individuals, with regards to individualism, collectivism, perceptions of social benefits, etc. These factors might also impact the choice to vaccinate. The existence of many outlets for highly varied information underscores the need for unbiased and credible education on COVID-19 vaccinations. The investigators aim to study whether education, in the form of three two-minute educational videos about COVID-19 vaccine development and dissemination, reduces vaccine hesitancy and increases intent to vaccinate. The investigators intend to use insights from this research study to develop a framework for video-based 'education prescriptions' that reduce vaccine hesitancy and increase intent to vaccinate across a number of infectious diseases. This may have wide-ranging impact: inform practice for health promotions and public health, as well as support infectious disease related work done by healthcare professionals (e.g. those working in travel medicine, where vaccination rates are also low).

02

Conditions studied

  • Health Promotion
  • Health Education
  • COVID-19 Vaccines

Browse trials for

03

In context

COVID-19

7,640 studies on the registry are indexed under COVID-19; 488 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 100 is close to the median of 100 across 4,099 interventional studies indexed under COVID-19.

Browse COVID-19 studies →

Lead sponsor

McMaster University is the lead sponsor of 720 studies on the registry; 124 are open to participants now.

Of its 6 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 2 (33%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
16 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

For the general public arm:

  • An understanding of the English language at a grade 8 written level
  • Reside in Ontario

For the healthcare professionals and public health professionals arm:

  • Licensed to practice as a healthcare professional in Ontario
  • An understanding of the English language at a grade 8 written level
  • Reside in Ontario

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any individuals under age 16
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
100 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Other
    General public

    The individuals recruited to the study will include those who are age 16 and older. Due to recruitment feasibility we will focus efforts on individuals living in Ontario. We intend to recruit individuals from COVID-19 assessment centres that are partnering in our study as well as through social media posts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

    Other: Educational video

  • Other
    Healthcare professionals and public health professionals

    The individuals recruited to the study will include healthcare professionals and public health professionals impacted by infectious disease outbreaks. Social media will be used to disseminate surveys to physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and healthcare workers. Public health units will disseminate surveys to their workforce.

    Other: Educational video

Interventions

  • OtherEducational video

    Three two-minute educational videos about COVID-19 vaccine development and dissemination

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of participants indicating intent to vaccinate against COVID-19

    The primary end point of the study is "intent to vaccinate against COVID-19" within the general public survey. We are looking for an increase in intent to vaccinate after the educational videos are completed. This is a yes/no answer choice. A change in response may be indicative of the impact of education on vaccination intent.

    Time frame: One month

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in score regarding vaccine hesitation after exposure to educational materials

    The study seeks to understand whether providing video-based educational materials yields a positive change in score regarding vaccine hesitation (at least one point decrease) after exposure to educational materials. A change in score may indicate that educational materials support a decrease in COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in the population. The scale title will be "Level of concern about the COVID-19 vaccine". Values will range from 1-5, where 1 indicates no concern and 5 indicates high concern.

    Time frame: One month

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Publications

  • Malik AA, McFadden SM, Elharake J, Omer SB. Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the US. EClinicalMedicine. 2020 Sep;26:100495. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100495. Epub 2020 Aug 12. PubMed 32838242 ↗
  • Harrison EA, Wu JW. Vaccine confidence in the time of COVID-19. Eur J Epidemiol. 2020 Apr;35(4):325-330. doi: 10.1007/s10654-020-00634-3. Epub 2020 Apr 22. PubMed 32318915 ↗
  • Dodd RH, Cvejic E, Bonner C, Pickles K, McCaffery KJ; Sydney Health Literacy Lab COVID-19 group. Willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 in Australia. Lancet Infect Dis. 2021 Mar;21(3):318-319. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30559-4. Epub 2020 Jun 30. No abstract available. PubMed 32619436 ↗
  • Edwards B, Biddle N, Gray M, Sollis K. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population. PLoS One. 2021 Mar 24;16(3):e0248892. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248892. eCollection 2021. PubMed 33760836 ↗
  • Sherman SM, Smith LE, Sim J, Amlot R, Cutts M, Dasch H, Rubin GJ, Sevdalis N. COVID-19 vaccination intention in the UK: results from the COVID-19 vaccination acceptability study (CoVAccS), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021 Jun 3;17(6):1612-1621. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1846397. Epub 2020 Nov 26. PubMed 33242386 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 11, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04876885
Lead sponsor
McMaster University
Responsible party
Sarrah Lal (Assistant Professor, McMaster University) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 7, 2021
Start date
May 6, 2021 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jun 6, 2021 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 6, 2021 (estimated)
Last update
May 11, 2021

Study contacts

Sarrah M Lal, MBA
Contact
lals2@mcmaster.ca
289.808.8597
Faith L Maelzer, BHSc
Contact
maelzerf@mcmaster.ca
416.576.1714
Sarrah M Lal, MBA
principal investigator · McMaster University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in May 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion