Abstract
BackgroundEntertainment-education (E-E) media can improve behavioral intent toward health-related practices. In the era of COVID-19, millions of people can be reached by E-E media without requiring any physical contact. We have designed a short, wordless, animated video about preventive COVID-19 behaviors that can be rapidly distributed through social media channels to a global audience. The E-E video’s effectiveness, however, remains unclear.Methods/designThis is a multi-site, parallel group, randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of an E-E video on COVID-19 against (i) an attention placebo control (APC) video and (ii) no video. For our primary outcomes, we will measure knowledge about preventive COVID-19 behaviors. We will also use a list randomization approach to measure behavioral intent toward preventative COVID-19 behaviors. In each trial arm, participants will be randomized to a control list or a control list plus an item about social distancing, washing hands, cleaning household surfaces, sharing of eating utensils, and the stockpiling of essential goods. Using an online platform, we will recruit 17,010 participants (aged 18–59 years) from the USA, the UK, Germany, Spain, France, and Mexico.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register #DRKS00021582. Registered on May 12, 2020.DiscussionThis trial will utilize several randomization procedures, list experimentation methods, and state-of-the-art online technology to demonstrate the effectiveness of an E-E video to improve knowledge of, and behavioral intent toward, the prevention of COVID-19. Our results will inform future E-E video campaigns for COVID-19 and similar public health intervention needs.
Highlights
Entertainment-education (E-E) media can improve behavioral intent toward health-related practices
This trial will utilize several randomization procedures, list experimentation methods, and state-of-theart online technology to demonstrate the effectiveness of an E-E video to improve knowledge of, and behavioral intent toward, the prevention of COVID-19
There is a critical need for public health actors to disseminate scientific information about the prevention of COVID-19, especially in the absence of a vaccine
Summary
Entertainment-education (E-E) media can improve behavioral intent toward health-related practices. A large amount of information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been disseminated by the traditional mass media since the outbreak of the pandemic [1,2,3]. It is not clear if this dissemination has improved knowledge of, or intent toward, preventive COVID-19 behaviors. We mean the public’s adoption of practices, such as social distancing, reduced physical contact, and hand/surface sanitization (among others), to reduce the spread of COVID-19. An effective public health response could benefit from entertainment-education (E-E) approaches that increase COVID-19 prevention outcomes [7]
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