Examining How a Text Message-based Educational Intervention Influences COVID-19 Testing

NCT07074171 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: HSC-SPH-20-1372 Phase 3 StudyU01TR004355
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 384
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 3

Brief Summary

In this Phase III study, the investigators will build off of the Phase II embedded study with some adjustments to the design to address new research priorities that examine an intervention that is network informed and delivered through community health worker interactions plus digitally-delivered intervention content with the goal of increasing COVID-19 testing and vaccination. This model, if proven effective, can be scaled up to address COVID-19 and other future pandemics. The investigators will utilize the sample of intervention priority census block groups (PBGs) used in Phase II and will recruit and enroll participants not previously enrolled in either phase I or II from these PBGs using convenience sampling methods. The investigators will use a historical control group consisting of participants from our control arm in Phase II who completed both their baseline and follow-up surveys embedded in the study.

Conditions

COVID-19 Testing Behaviors

Keywords

COVID-19; decision making; testing behaviors; vulnerable populations

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Number of Participants Who Self-Reported Use of a COVID-19 Antigen or PCR Test

  The number of participants who self-reported use of COVID-19 antigen test or PCR Test using individual-level data in the past 60 days

  Baseline

• Number of Participants Who Self-Reported Use of a COVID-19 Antigen or PCR Test

  The number of participants who self-reported use of COVID-19 antigen test or PCR Test using individual-level data in the past 60 days

  8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Number of Participants Who Self-reported Receiving COVID-19 Vaccination

  Baseline

• Number of Participants Who Self-reported Receiving COVID-19 Vaccination

  8 weeks

• Number of Participants Who Self-reported Used Mitigation Measures if a Positive Test is Obtained

  Baseline, 8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Text message-based education intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

A text message-based COVID-19 education intervention with support from community health workers.

Behavioral: Text message-based education intervention

Historical Control Group

OTHER

Participants in this Historical Control Group completed the prior Phase II embedded study, in which they received CDC-designed COVID-19 testing brochures and completed pre- and post-intervention surveys only.

Other: Historical Control

Interventions

Historical Control OTHER

Participants received CDC-designed COVID-19 testing brochures and completed pre- and post-intervention surveys as part of the Phase II embedded study.

Historical Control Group

Text message-based education intervention BEHAVIORAL

The intervention consisted of enhanced behavioral and educational text messages, up to three messages each week, providing updates on COVID-19 testing and vaccination. The text messages included digitally delivered intervention content such as a video with low-literacy instructions for administering the rapid antigen tests, guidance if they tested positive (e.g., quarantine, notify contacts, wearing a mask), and other relevant strategies and content focused on increasing COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

Text message-based education intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 89 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• having a smartphone that accepts text messages

You may not qualify if:

• having been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 30 days based on a positive test (antigen or PCR) or a clinical diagnosis
• having tested for COVID-19 with PCR or antigen test within the past 30 days
• not being available in the recruitment area in the next 60 days
• having been an embedded study participant
• having been a snowball study participant.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston: lead
• University of Texas at Tyler: collaborator
• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS): collaborator

Study Sites (3)

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health Brownsville Regional Campus

Brownsville, Texas, 78520, United States

Location

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health Houston Main Campus

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

Location

The University of Texas at Tyler

Tyler, Texas, 75799, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

COVID-19

Interventions

Historically Controlled Study

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Studies; Epidemiologic Study Characteristics; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Belinda M Reininger, DrPH
• Organization: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Belinda.M.Reininger@uth.tmc.edu

956-755-0654

Study Officials

• Maria E Fernandez, PhD

  The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor and Regional Campus Dean in Brownsville

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 16, 2025
• First Posted: July 20, 2025
• Study Start: April 3, 2023
• Primary Completion: December 12, 2024
• Study Completion: December 12, 2024
• Last Updated: January 6, 2026
• Results First Posted: January 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (3)