Mental Imagery to Increase Face Covering Use in UK-based Public Places During the COVID-19 Pandemic

NCT04583449 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: ETH2021-0006
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 250
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Wearing face coverings in enclosed public spaces is a key public health measure to limit viral spread during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Health psychologists are interested in developing interventions that can increase the likelihood of health-adherent and protective behaviours being consistently undertaken at a general population level. Mental imagery interventions are one way in which behavioural scientists and health psychologists try to encourage behaviour change. Mental imagery involves thinking about, and then writing about, anticipated positive outcomes or key practical requirements of a defined health-related action (e.g. 'moderate alcohol consumption'; 'engaging in regular physical activity'). For this project, the investigators are exploring a mental imagery intervention created to encourage regular and consistent wearing of face coverings in public places where this is currently required in the UK. The investigators will test whether engaging in a mental imagery exercise results in any improvement in wearing a face covering (or intention to wear a face covering) one month later relative to reading a public health message about face coverings. In addition, the investigators will explore belief-based and personality-related factors that might make a difference to the effectiveness of the mental imagery intervention.

Conditions

Viral Infection; Covid19

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Face covering wearing consistency

  Self-reported single item response statement with a Likert-type response. Minimum value = 1; maximum value = 5 (a higher score indicates a better outcome).

  4 weeks post-intervention

• Face covering wearing intention

  Self-reported three item response scale with Likert-type responses. Minimum value = 1; maximum value = 5 (a higher score indicates a better outcome).

  4 weeks post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Attitude toward wearing a face covering

  4 weeks post-intervention

• Injunctive norm beliefs about wearing a face covering

  4 weeks post-intervention

• Descriptive norm beliefs about wearing a face covering

  4 weeks post-intervention

• Perceived behavioural control over wearing a face covering

  4 weeks post-intervention

• Barrier self-efficacy to wearing a face covering

  4 weeks post-intervention

Study Arms (4)

Outcome imagery

EXPERIMENTAL

Outcome imagery condition participants will be asked to visualize themselves successfully wearing a face covering in all required public places/situations over coming week, and to imagine how they would feel. The importance of imagining distinctive relevant visual imagery linked to having successfully routinely worn face covering will be underscored in this passage. Outcome imagery participants will then be asked to write in a free-text box how they would feel having successfully worn a face covering in required public places/situations over the week ahead.

Behavioral: Mental imagery

Process imagery

EXPERIMENTAL

Process imagery condition participants will be asked to visualize the kinds of strategies involved in successfully wearing a face covering in all required public places/situations over the coming week. The importance of imagining distinctive relevant visual imagery linked to having effective strategies involved in successfully wearing a face covering in required public places/situations over the week ahead will be underscored in this passage. Process imagery participants will then be asked to write in a free-text box about the kinds of strategies that would be involved in successfully wearing a face covering in all required public places/situations over the coming week.

Behavioral: Mental imagery

Combined imagery (outcome imagery and process imagery)

EXPERIMENTAL

A third experimental condition will receive both outcome and process imagery exercises to read and complete in sequential order.

Behavioral: Mental imagery

Public health message

NO INTERVENTION

A fourth condition will involve viewing a UK Government public health message (HM Government, 2020) circulated on social media as an image concerning the importance of wearing face covering while in public places.

Interventions

Mental imagery BEHAVIORAL

Mental imagery involves the mental representation of a future event, action, or task. By imitating or rehearsing this mental event or series of events" (Taylor et al., 1998, p. 430) mental imagery interventionists theorise that an individual's preparation for, and motivation toward, a future action can be made more likely. Mental imagery involves an individual following a set of pre-defined exercises involving thinking about, visualising and writing about a health-related action. Mental imagery exercises can involve focusing on anticipated positive/beneficial outcomes of an action (outcome imagery) or imagery relating to the anticipated strategies/preparation that would be required to successfully execute a pre-defined action (process imagery).

Combined imagery (outcome imagery and process imagery); Outcome imagery; Process imagery

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• + year old adults

You may not qualify if:

• Not currently living in the UK

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of East London: lead
• University of Manchester: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of East London

London, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Conroy D. Mental imagery interventions to promote face covering use among UK university students and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2022 Jan 18;23(1):51. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05852-y.

  PMID: 35042564 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Virus Diseases; COVID-19

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Central Study Contacts

Dominic Conroy, PhD

CONTACT

+44 7825704881; d.conroy@uel.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 2, 2020
• First Posted: October 12, 2020
• Study Start: August 19, 2020
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2020
• Study Completion: December 1, 2020
• Last Updated: October 12, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Time Frame: Data will be made available on completion of article publication. Data will be made permanently available.

Locations

GB (1)