225 - Building Health Campaigns that Speak to People: A Participatory Design Project to Understand Effective Pediatric Vaccine Messages

Poster Number: 225
Publication Number: 225.1095

Background: Amid the pandemic and its accompanying vaccination campaigns, government and community-based organizations faced the challenge of disseminating effective health messages to promote safety measures and vaccine uptake. When children became eligible for the vaccine, many parents were hesitant and it became important to examine child vaccination messaging strategies.

Objective: The assessment of the impact of these messages on health communication and health outcomes remains complex. However, understanding which types of messages resonate most with parents/guardians from diverse backgrounds is of paramount importance.

Design/Methods: In an effort to address this issue, we used a participatory design method that included a series of focus groups aimed at understanding the elements that make child COVID-19 health messages effective across various demographic groups. We provided participants packets containing varied components extracted from actual flyers and brochures that included headers, images (e.g. photographs and cartoons depicting children in various settings), texts (statistics and narratives), and logos (local and federal government and community organizations). Participants then created their own messages based on what they believed would encourage parents and caregivers to vaccinate their children.

Results: Participant demographics are presented in Table 1. Through inductive/deductive hybrid thematic analysis, our study identified key attributes of impactful health messages: 1) Inclusive and familiar imagery that signifies togetherness, joy and return to normalcy; 2) Personalized narrative language that is community and future oriented while highlighting concepts of togetherness, strength and safety/protection; and 3) Endorsement by trusted organizations including local government and community based organizations. Selected messages created by participants that depict these themes are displayed in Figure 1.

Conclusion(s): Insights gained from this research extend beyond child COVID-19 vaccination messages, offering valuable lessons for developing health messages in various contexts and for different health conditions.

Although the focus of this study was to understand parent/guardian perspectives, conversations revealed the importance of implementing multigenerational messages that emphasize familial relationships and connectivity as a pathway towards effective engagement.