Effects of Prior Exposure to Conflicting Health Information on Responses to Subsequent Unrelated Health Messages

Communication Research Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effects of Prior Exposure to Conflicting Health Information on Responses to Subsequent Unrelated Health Messages

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04247529
• Other study ID #: 2019NTLS140
• Secondary ID: R21CA218054
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: July 20, 2020
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: November 2020
• Source: University of Minnesota
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Many population-level public health strategies-including media campaigns and other behavioral interventions, screening recommendations, and vaccination policies-rely on messaging to promote cancer prevention and control. These strategies do not take place in a vacuum; rather, they occur in the context of a broader public information environment, which is increasingly characterized by conflicting and often controversial health information. Although studies have documented that such information is prevalent, a critical question remains unanswered: does exposure to conflicting health information in people's routine interactions with the broader information environment threaten the success of message-based population-level public health strategies? And, if so, who is most susceptible to the effects of such exposure? This study will provide a rigorous empirical test of these critical answered questions, guided by two specific aims: First, to evaluate whether prior exposure to conflicting health information influences responses to subsequent unrelated and uncontested health messages, a phenomenon that has been described as "carryover effects" (Primary Aim); and second, to identify whether there are individual-level differences in how conflict affects responses to these unrelated and uncontested health messages (Secondary Aim).

Description:

To accomplish these aims, an online survey-based experiment using a population-based sample of U.S. adults (anticipated N=1,800) will be conducted. At 2 time points across a 28-day period, participants will be exposed to news stories and social media posts about 6 health topics: mammography screening, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, Vitamin D supplementation, carbohydrate consumption, alcohol consumption, and breastfeeding. Participants will be randomized to 1 of 2 treatment groups that differ only in the amount of conflict presented in these news and social media posts (conflict, no conflict). At a third time point, after the exposure to conflict period, all participants will be exposed to 3 (out of a possible 9) messages from existing health campaigns about 3 behaviors for which there is scientific consensus: fruit and vegetable consumption, colorectal cancer screening, and physical activity. To assess carryover effects (Primary Aim), participants' receptivity to these messages-as measured through several affective and cognitive responses (e.g., confidence in the evidence presented)-will be measured. Message receptivity is expected to be lower among those who were randomized to receive conflicting health information. Individual-level differences in message receptivity are possible; thus exploratory analyses (Secondary Aim) will be conducted to assess whether carryover effects of exposure to conflict may be more pronounced among certain groups (e.g., those with greater trust in media sources, those of lower socioeconomic position).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 6046
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: August 31, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18+ U.S. adults
• Members of NORC's AmeriSpeak Panel (https://amerispeak.norc.org/Pages/default.aspx)
• Able to complete web-based survey
• Able to read in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• None

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Communication Research

Intervention

Other:
• Exposure to conflicting health information
At 2 time points across a ~28-day period, participants will be exposed to news stories and social media posts about 6 health topics: mammography screening, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, Vitamin D supplementation, carbohydrate consumption, alcohol consumption, and breastfeeding. Participants in the conflict (experimental) group will have conflicting information added to these news and social media posts.
• No exposure to conflicting health information
At 2 time points across a ~28-day period, participants will be exposed to news stories and social media posts about 6 health topics: mammography screening, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, Vitamin D supplementation, carbohydrate consumption, alcohol consumption, and breastfeeding. Participants in the no conflict (comparator) group will have no conflicting information included in these news and social media posts.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	NORC at the University of Chicago (online only)	Chicago	Illinois

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Minnesota	National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Negative affective responses	Participants are asked to indicate how "the ad you just saw made you feel"; 7 affective responses are randomly ordered: interested, frustrated, surprised, annoyed, distressed, optimistic, worried (response options: 1 "very slightly or not at all" to 5 "extremely")	Up to 42 days
Primary	Counterarguing	• Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with 4 statements (randomly ordered; response options: 1 "strongly disagree" to 5 "strongly agree"): "I found myself agreeing with the ad" (reverse coded); "I thought of points that went against what the ad was saying"; "I accepted the ad's claims" (reverse coded); "While reading the ad, I was skeptical of its claims"	Up to 42 days
Primary	Reactance/threat to freedom	• Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with the following statement (response options: 1 "strongly disagree" to 5 "strongly agree"): "I felt like the ad was trying to manipulate me"	Up to 42 days
Primary	Other negative cognitive responses to ad claims	• Participants are asked to indicate whether "the claims in the ad I just saw are" (randomly ordered; response options: 1 "strongly disagree" to 5 "strongly agree"): exaggerated, flawed, believable (reverse coded), reasonable (reverse coded)	Up to 42 days
Primary	Perceived argument strength	• Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with 2 statements (randomly ordered; response options: 1 "strongly disagree" to 5 "strongly agree"): "The ad was convincing"; "The ad gave me a strong reason to [engage in the behavior specified in the ad]"	Up to 42 days
Primary	Response efficacy	• Participants are asked to respond to two items, presented in random order: "How confident are you that there is evidence to support the ad's claims?" (1 "not confident at all" to 7 "extremely confident"); "How much do you think your health would benefit if you [engaged in the behavior specified in the ad]?" (1 "not at all" to 7 "extremely")	Up to 42 days