Organization: Indlela@HE2RO
Study objectives: To compare changes in caregivers/prospective caregivers’ intentions to vaccinate their current / future children against HPV following exposure to HPV vaccine misinformation, between groups with and without psychological inoculation.
Intervention and evaluation description: The study will have 3 phases
Phase 1: HPV misinformation rating survey
This will be a multi-step process designed to identify the most concerning and persuasive misinformation claims about the HPV vaccine among caregivers and prospective caregivers in South Africa. The findings from this phase will directly inform the development and testing of inoculation messages in subsequent study phases.
Phase 2: Online randomised controlled trial of inoculation messages
We will conduct an online two-arm randomised controlled trial of 2-3 inoculation messages that address emerging myths and misinformation about the HPV vaccine in South Africa. Participants will be randomly assigned to a control group or the intervention arm: enhanced inoculation message with insights from behavioural economics.
Phase 3: In-person randomised controlled trial of inoculation messages
Phase 3 will mirror the design, structure, and content of the online randomised controlled trial conducted in Phase 2. The key distinction is that Phase 3 will be implemented entirely in person with a smaller sample of caregivers and prospective caregivers recruited through Indlela’s Behavioural Hub (B-Hub).
Study outcomes:
Primary outcome: Increased acceptance and intention for HPV vaccination among caregivers or prospective caregivers.
Secondary outcomes:(1) Caregivers/prospective caregivers’ intention to get the HPV vaccine for their children 2-6 weeks following the exposure, believability and persuasiveness of misinformation, interest in sharing misinformation, and motivational threat associated with misinformation; (2) We will explore subgroup effects by relevant sociodemographic and behavioural factors.
Study site: Participants for Phases 1 and 2 will be enrolled through Prolific (an online research platform). Phase 3 will be conducted through the B-Hub in Gauteng.
Target population:
Participants in all phases of the study shall meet the following Inclusion criteria
- Adults aged 18-49 years [this includes current and prospective caregivers residing in South Africa]
- Willing and able to provide consent
- Able to read and understand English
Exclusion criteria
- For Phase 1 and 2: Not registered on Prolific
- For Phase 3: Not a member of the B-Hub
Sample size: The sample size will differ across the 3 study phases:
Phase 1: We expect to invite up to 1,000 participants.
Phase 2: We enrol a sample of around 2,500 participants (1,250 per arm)
Phase 3: To be determined
Duration: 12 months
