The impact of theory-based messages on COVID-19 vaccination intentions: a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Objectives Uptake of vaccination against COVID-19 is key to controlling the pandemic. However, a significant proportion of people report that they do not intend to have a vaccine, often because of concerns they have about vaccine side effects or safety. This study will assess the impact of theory-based messages on COVID-19 vaccination intention, drawing on the Necessity-Concerns framework to address previously reported beliefs and concerns about COVID-19 vaccination, and assess whether hypothesised variables (illness coherence, perceived necessity and concerns) mediate change in vaccination intention. Trial design Prospective, parallel two-arm, individually randomised (1:1) trial. Participants Adults aged over 18 years, living in Scotland and not vaccinated for COVID-19. A quota sampling approach will be used with the aim of achieving a nationally representative sample on gender, region and ethnic group, with oversampling of individuals with no educational qualifications or with only school-level qualifications. Intervention and comparator Intervention: Brief exposure to online text and image-based messages addressing necessity beliefs and concerns about COVID-19 vaccination. Comparator: Brief exposure to online text and image-based messages containing general information about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination. Main outcomes Primary outcome: Self-reported intention to receive a vaccine for COVID-19 if invited, immediately post-intervention. Secondary outcomes: Self-reported COVID-19 illness coherence, perceived necessity of a COVID-19 vaccine and concerns about a COVID-19 vaccine, immediately post-intervention. Randomisation Quasi-randomisation performed automatically by online survey software, by creating a variable derived from the number of seconds in the minute that the participant initiates the survey. Participants starting the survey at 0-14 or 30-44 seconds in the minute are allocated to the intervention and 15-29 or 45-59 seconds to the comparator. Blinding (masking) Participants will not be blinded to group assignment but will not be informed of the purpose of the study until they have completed the follow-up survey. Investigators will be blinded to allocation as all procedures will be undertaken digitally and remotely without any investigator contact with participants. Numbers to be randomised (sample size) A total of 1,094 will be randomised 1:1 into two groups with 547 individuals in each. Trial Status Protocol version number 1.0, 26th February 2021. Recruitment status: Not yet recruiting, set to start April 2021 and end April 2021. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04813770, 24th March 2021. Full protocol The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

The psychometric properties of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) regarding Internet gaming disorder in a general population of Chinese adults

Background and aimsInternet gaming disorder (IGD) has been recognized as a mental illness. Cognitive and emotional illness representations affect coping and health outcomes. Very little is known about such perceptions related to IGD, in both general and diseased populations. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) for IGD in a general population that included mostly non-cases while a small proportion of the sample was IGD cases.MethodsAn anonymous cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in a random sample of 1,501 Chinese community-dwelling adults (41.3% male; mean age = 40.42, SD = 16.85) in Macao, China.ResultsThe confirmatory factor analysis identified a modified 6-factor model (i.e., timeline cyclical, consequences, personal control, treatment control, illness coherence, and emotional representations) of 26 items that showed satisfactory model fit and internal consistency. Criterion-related validity was supported by the constructs' significant correlations with stigma (positive correlations: timeline cyclical, consequence, emotional representations; negative correlations: illness coherence). Ever-gamers, compared to never-gamers, reported higher mean scores in the subscales of personal control and illness coherence, and lower mean scores in time cyclical, consequence, and emotional representations. Among the sampled gamers, probable IGD cases were more likely than non-IGD cases to perceive IGD as cyclical and involved more negative emotions.ConclusionsThis study shows that the revised 26-item version of IPQ-R is a valid instrument for assessing illness representation regarding IGD in a general population of Chinese adults. It can be used in future research that examines factors of incidence and prevention related to IGD.

Pengaruh Illness Perception Terhadap Fungsi Paru Pasien Asma Rawat Jalan

Introduction: Illness perception is one of the factors of self-management, which can affect the outcome of asthmatreatment. Pulmonary function is more objective than clinical symptoms in asthma monitoring. Aim of study: Thepurpose of this study was to determine the effect of illness perception on lung function in outpatient asthmapatients. Method: The design that will be used in this study is the observational method. This research wasconducted in November 2018-January 2019. The independent variable used in this study was Illness perception ,while the dependent variable was lung function by measuring the FEV1 / FVC ratio using data collection techniqueswith a questionnaire to measure respondents' perception of illness and measurement of lung function withspirometry. Data analysis in this study used the chi-square test to determine the effect of illness perception on lungfunction values. This study involved 40 people, consisting of 5 respondents with disorders and 35 without lungfunction disorders. Results and Discussion: Illness perception based on asthma symptoms for symptoms ofshortness of breath affects lung function. Respondent's pain perception about identity, consequences, personalcontrol, treatment control, cyclical timeline, emotion, causal representation is correct, where the respondent knowsthe real symptoms experienced by asthmatics. As for the Illness coherence, and the timeline is still lacking, whererespondents do not know the real cause of asthma, uncontrolled asthma suffered because respondents said theywere doubtful or suddenly their asthma appeared besides that many respondents did not know that asthma would beexperienced for a lifetime. Conclusion: Therefore, in monitoring asthma treatment, we must pay attention to illnessperception because it can also affect the lung function of asthma patients.

Breast cancer prevention: what women think about the illness, its risks and self-care

Background: Early detection of breast cancer (BC) is important to reduce mortality rates. To prevent BC, women should adopt self-care behaviors. This study aimed at examining risk and illness perception and self-care of healthy women regarding breast cancer. Methods: Participants were 211 women (M = 59.11 years, SD = 8.54) and with no personal history of the illness, selected by convenience. Measures were a sociodemographic, clinical and health behavior questionnaire, illness perception and risk perception questionnaires. Nonparametric statistics (Spearman) was employed to analyze the relationship between illness perception, risk perception and sociodemographic variables. The open answers to the causes of the illness were classified according to the content analysis. Results: We found a relationship between risk and illness perception and self-care in healthy women regarding BC. It was identified that women had reasonable illness coherence (M = 3.18) and considered the illness more timeline chronic than timeline acute (M = 3.22), reasonable timeline cyclical (M = 3.56), with severe consequences for health (M = 4.22), and reasonably threatening (M = 3.15). Conclusions: BC and risk perception and self-care are interrelated variables among healthy women. ***Prevenção do cancer de mama: o que as mulheres pensam sobre a doença, seus riscos e autocuidado***Introdução: A detecção precoce do câncer de mama (CM) é importante para reduzir as taxas de mortalidade. Para preveni-lo, a mulher deve adotar comportamentos de autocuidado em saúde. Esse estudo objetiva examinar a percepção de risco, a percepção da doença e o autocuidado de mulheres saudáveis com relação ao CM. Método: Participaram 211 mulheres (M = 59,11 anos; DP = 8,54) sem histórico de CM selecionados por conveniência. Os instrumentos foram questionário de dados sociodemográficos, clínicos e decomportamento em saúde, questionários de percepção da doença e percepção de risco. Estatística não paramétrica (Spearman) foi utilizada para analisar a relação entre percepção da doença, percepção de risco e variáveis sociodemográficas. As respostas abertas sobre as causas da doença foram classificadas segundo análise de conteúdo. Resultados: Observou-se que existe relação entre a percepção de risco e da doença, e autocuidado em mulheres saudáveis. Identificou-se que as mulheres têm razoável percepção de entendimento da doença (M = 3.18), a consideravam mais crônica que aguda (M = 3.22), razoavelmente cíclica (M = 3,56), com consequências graves à saúde (M = 4,22), e relativamente ameaçadora (M = 3,15). Conclusões: A percepção do CM, a percepção de risco e o autocuidado são variáveis inter-relacionadas em mulheres saudáveis.Palavras-chave: Neoplasias; Autorregulação; Câncer de mama; Autocuidado.

Self-management in older adults with chronic illness: Do illness representations play a regulatory role?

Background. A greater number of older adults now live with chronic illness. This poses a significant public health problem, because older adults are at high risk for chronic illness -related mortality and morbidity. Methods. In the project on older adult self care in chronic illness, we administered nine subscales (Illness Consequences, Illness Coherence, Illness Timeline—Cyclical, Personal Control, Treatment Control, Illness Representations, Illness Identity, and Causal Attributions) of the Illness Perception Questionnaire— Revised (IPQ-R). Multivariable linear regression analyses explored the associations between illness perception, wellness-focused coping, and illness-focused coping as measured by CPCI42. Results. Among the 76 respondents (39.47% women; mean age, 64.53±6.93 years), in multivariable regression models, either illness perception variables or coping strategies variables were associated with chronic illness. Higher scores on causal attributions were associated with coping strategies chosen scores. Higher scores on the causal attributions (β = 0.63), Illness Coherence (β = -0.50), illness representations(β = 0.66) and Personal Control scales(β = -0.53) were associated with several scores of coping strategies chosen by chronically ill older persons. Conclusion. Older adults with chronic illness report a high understanding of their disease, feel that chronic illness has significant illness representations consequences, and endorse both illness coherence and personal control over their coping strategies. Illness perceptions did not vary with increased age or worsening disease severity, suggesting that illness perceptions may develop during aging. The self-regulatory model may provide a useful guide for the development of effective interventions tailored to older adults. Keywords: Chronic Illness; Coping Strategies; Illness Perceptions; Older Adults; Self-Regulatory Model