Nudges to Improve Health Behaviors That Limit COVID-19 Spread

NCT04379375 | Terminated

• 1 other identifier: PRO00037864
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This investigation is a randomized intervention trial that evaluates behavioral nudges (BN) to increase hand washing behavior and subsequently reduce COVID-19 spreading to a targeted high-risk patient population based in Wisconsin.

Conditions

Health Behavior; COVID-19

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Hand Washing Behavior

  Measured via adapted version of a previously validated questionnaire (Hygiene Inventory - 23), which specifically includes (a) 1 item about approximate hand washing frequency on an average day, with response options of whole numbers from 0-29 and an additional option of "30 or more" where higher numbers are generally considered better outcomes, (b) 10 items about hand washing behavior in various contexts, with response options of "1 - Never", "2 - Occasionally", "3 - Usually", and "4 - Always" where higher scores are considered better outcomes, and (c) 1 item about general hand hygiene using antibacterial gel or wipes, with response options of "1 - Never", "2 - Occasionally", "3 - Usually", and "4 - Always" where higher scores are considered better outcomes.

  8 weeks post-enrollment

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Clinical Outcomes - General/Internal Medicine

  12 weeks post-enrollment

• Clinical Outcomes - Obstetrics & Gynecology

  12 weeks post-enrollment

• Clinical Outcomes - Surgery

  12 weeks post-enrollment

Study Arms (2)

Inertia

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants simply receive and subsequently have "default" access (i.e., readily and immediately available) to handwashing (HW) materials. This condition will functionally serve as a control comparison. As the term implies, inertia capitalizes on minimizing effort necessary (e.g., going to the grocery store) to engage in HW behavior in one's personal environment.

Behavioral: Nudge

Anchoring

EXPERIMENTAL

Involves once again providing "default access" to HW materials as above, but adds an explicit written cue to wash hands at a rate of (15) times per day, which is placed directly on the soap dispenser. The stimulus is intended to deliberately prime participant thinking (and subsequent behavior) towards a higher reference point that "overshoots" a desired target rate of 10+ daily HWs.

Behavioral: Nudge

Interventions

Nudge BEHAVIORAL

Application of behavior-change strategies based on principles of behavioral economics, decision-making heuristics, psychological/environmental variables.

Anchoring; Inertia

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 years or older
• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• Willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study
• Has at least 1 risk factor associated with COVID-19 documented in their electronic medical record
• Followed by (i.e., actively receiving care) from targeted MCW specialties (Internal Medicine, OBGYN, Surgery)
• Access to necessary resources for participating in a technology-based activities (i.e., internet access + mobile phone or computer to complete online survey)
• Maintains a personal address where study materials can be shipped and where participant lives full time

You may not qualify if:

• Previous COVID-19 diagnosis or positive COVID-19 test result documented in their electronic medical record
• Current participation in another treatment or intervention study associated with COVID-19
• Previous documented Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder diagnosis in their electronic medical record
• Non-English speaker
• Patients hospitalized or incapacitated at onset of potential enrollment
• No access to electronic platform with internet (e.g., smartphone, tablet, computer)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medical College of Wisconsin: lead
• Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Health Behavior; COVID-19

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases

Study Officials

• Nicholas D Young, PhD

  Medical College of Wisconsin

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 4, 2020
• First Posted: May 7, 2020
• Study Start: July 27, 2020
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2020
• Study Completion: September 30, 2020
• Last Updated: October 5, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)