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Month: August 2022

Promoting Social Distancing and COVID-19 Vaccination in a Social Media Feed for Mothers

Promoting Social Distancing and COVID-19 Vaccination in a Social Media Feed for Mothers

The Health Chat team from Klein Buendel, the University of Connecticut, Colorado State University, and East Tennessee State University has published findings from a health communication study in the journal JMIR Infodemiology. The purpose of the study was to examine how the source of health information shared via a Facebook social media feed might impact behavioral intentions related to practicing social distancing or accepting COVID-19 vaccination. The Facebook group participants were mothers of adolescent daughters. The social media feed varied the source of information in posts on four topics: social distancing, COVID-19 vaccines, digital and media literacy, and family communication about COVID-19. The information sources were government agencies, near-peer parents, and news media.

In summary, 303 mothers with adolescent daughters from a previous study testing a social media campaign on indoor tanning were recruited in January 2021 and enrolled in a randomized single-factor design (government agencies vs. near-peer parents vs. news media) evaluating the 9-week Facebook feed with four assessments at baseline and 3-week, 6-week, and 9-week follow-ups. Mothers received one social media post each day (Monday-Friday) in three randomly assigned Facebook private groups, covering all four topics plus one additional post on a positive non-pandemic topic to promote engagement. Posts in the three groups had the same messages but differed by links to information from government agencies, near-peer parents, or news media in the post. Views, reactions, and comments related to each post were counted to measure engagement with the messages. Mothers reported on social distancing and vaccine intentions for themselves and their daughters at the four assessment points.

Research methods and analyses are detailed in the JMIR Infodemiology paper. Nearly all mothers (98%) remained in the Facebook private groups throughout the 9-week trial period, and assessment completion rates were high. Analysis showed that social distancing behavior by mothers and daughters decreased over time but vaccine intentions increased. Decrease in social distancing by daughters was greater in the near-peer source group and lesser in the government agency group. The higher perceived credibility of the assigned information source increased social distancing and vaccine intentions. Mothers’ intentions to vaccinate themselves may have increased when they considered the near-peer source to be not credible. According to the authors, decreasing case counts, relaxation of government restrictions, and vaccine distribution during the study may explain the decreased social distancing and increased vaccine intentions.

This research was funded by a grant and supplement from the National Cancer Institute (CA192652). Dr. David Buller from Klein Buendel and Dr. Sherry Pagoto from the University of Connecticut were the project’s Multiple Principal Investigators. Additional authors on this publication include Joseph Divito from the University of Connecticut; Dr. Kim Henry from Colorado State University; Dr. Katie Baker and Dr. Joel Hillhouse from East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Barbara Walkosz, Dr. Gill Woodall, Julia Berteletti, and Alishia Kinsey from Klein Buendel.

Effects of Engagement with a Social Media Campaign to Reduce Indoor Tanning

Effects of Engagement with a Social Media Campaign to Reduce Indoor Tanning

A paper by Klein Buendel scientists, staff, and collaborators published in the Journal of Health Communication reports on a secondary analysis of engagement effects from a social media campaign. The campaign, called Health Chat, was aimed at reducing mothers’ permissiveness for indoor tanning (IT) by their teenage daughters.

In the study, over 800 mothers with daughters aged 14-17 were recruited in 34 states that did not ban IT by minors under age 18 for a randomized trial. Follow-up assessments were completed at the end of the intervention (12 months) and six months after that (18 months). Daughters’ baseline and follow-up responses were analyzed also. Mothers received a Facebook feed on adolescent health topics that included posts about preventing IT (intervention) or prescription drug misuse (control).

Engagement was measured by extracting reactions (such as like or sad) and comments posted by mothers to the campaign posts. Overall, 76.4% of posts received a reaction and/or comment. Mothers who engaged with IT posts were less permissive of daughters’ IT immediately at the end of the campaign and six months after the intervention than mothers who did not engage with the posts.

Social media is a large part of the media diets of many parents and show some promise for health behavior change interventions. Social media posts need to both reach and engage parents, especially in social media like Facebook whose algorithm prioritizes posts from feeds that receive more views, reactions, and comments. This is to ensure that the posts appear in participants’ news feeds so well-crafted health communication can influence them. The authors conclude, however, that more work is needed on strategies to engage individuals with social media posts in the context of improving public policies that restrict minors’ access to IT facilities.

This research was funded by a grant and supplement from the National Cancer Institute (CA192652; Dr. David Buller and Dr. Sherry Pagoto, Multiple Principal Investigators). Collaborating authors include Dr. Kimberly Henry from Colorado State University; Dr. Katie Baker and Dr. Joel Hillhouse from East Tennessee State University; Jessica Bibeau from the University of Connecticut; and Dr. Barbara Walkosz and Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel.

Evaluation of the STAC
Teacher Module

Evaluation of the STAC
Teacher Module

Bullying is a significant problem for youth and is associated with a wide range of negative consequences. Educating teachers about bullying and training them to support students to intervene as “defenders” may increase the efficacy of bullying bystander programs. This is particularly important in middle school when bullying peaks and rates of reporting bullying to teachers begin to decline.

This study, published in JMIR Formative Research, used a mixed-methods design to inform the development of a Teacher Module as a companion training to a brief bullying prevention program for middle schools, called STAC. The STAC bystander intervention is a 75-minute training that includes didactic and experiential components. It teaches middle school students to act as “defenders” on behalf of targets of bullying through utilizing four intervention strategies:

STAC Bullying Bystander Strategies

(1) “Stealing the Show” – using humor or distraction to interrupt a bullying situation and remove the attention away from the target;

(2) “Turning it Over” – identifying a trusted adult at school, reporting, and asking for help during a bullying incident;

(3) “Accompanying Others” – befriending and/or providing support to a peer who was a target of bullying; and

(4) “Coaching Compassion” – gently confronting the perpetrator and increasing empathy for the target.

Providing students who witness bullying with intervention strategies to act as “defenders” can reduce both bullying and negative associated outcomes for both targets and bystanders.

For the development of the companion STAC Teacher Module, 18 teachers were recruited from one middle school in a rural, low-income community. Before and after the training, teachers completed surveys assessing immediate outcomes (such as knowledge, confidence, comfort, and self-efficacy), intention to use the program strategies, and program acceptability and relevance. After the final survey, a subset of six teachers participated in a qualitative focus group to obtain feedback regarding program appropriateness, feasibility, content, perception of need, and potential desire for an online version of the teacher training.

Study measures, procedures, analyses, and results are detailed in the JMIR Formative Research paper. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. In summary, the researchers found an increase in teacher knowledge and confidence to support “defenders,” confidence and comfort in managing bullying, and bullying self-efficacy. Most teachers reported they were likely or very likely to use the STAC strategies to support students who intervene in bullying in the future. Both quantitative and qualitative data showed the teacher training was easy to use, useful, relevant, and appropriate. Qualitative data provided feedback on program improvement. Teachers shared positive feedback on program feasibility and implementation, and described strengths of an online version of the module. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the STAC Teacher Module in increasing teacher knowledge and bullying self-efficacy and provides support for the development of an online version of the module for teachers.

This research was supported by a grant to Boise State University from the Mental Research Institute (Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal Investigator). Co-authors include Dr. Diana Doumas from Boise State University and Ms. Mary Buller from Klein Buendel.

Collaborator Spotlight:
Dr. Susan Breitenstein

Collaborator Spotlight:
Dr. Susan Breitenstein

Susan Breitenstein, PhD, RN, FNAP, FAAN, is an Associate Professor, Assistant Dean for Research and Innovation, and Senior Director of the Community Outreach and Engagement & CHW Training Program at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. She received her PhD from Rush University. Her clinical training is as a child and adolescent psychiatric nurse. Working clinically with children, adolescents, and families with mental health issues led Dr. Breitenstein to focus her research efforts on mental health promotion and prevention through implementation and dissemination of evidence-based parenting interventions. Her other research interests include fatherhood interventions and intervention fidelity. In addition to research, Dr. Breitenstein serves as Secretary of the Global Implementation Society.

Currently, Dr. Breitenstein is collaborating with Ms. Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel on a research study entitled, “Parent Training for Parents of Toddlers Born Very Premature: A Factorial Design to Test Web Delivery and Telephone Coaching” (HD104072; Dr. Breitenstein, Principal Investigator). This study is an adaptation of the Chicago Parent Program and will focus on parenting children who were born very premature, or before 32 weeks gestational age. The Chicago Parent Program is a 12-session parenting program designed to reduce behavioral issues in young children, ages 2-5 years, through strengthening parenting skills. Children who are born very premature have higher risks and vulnerabilities for developing behavioral problems. This study aims to test digital delivery of parent training plus coaching calls for parents of toddlers who were born very premature.