Dime La VerDAD: Verify, Debunk, and Disseminate

Description

Dime La VerDAD is an innovative social media capacity-building program that empowers promotores de salud to debunk vaccine misinformation through the use of personal narratives on social media. The core of the implementation strategy consists of augmenting training and self-efficacy for natural community champions, "promotores de salud" from the Hispanic community as trusted messengers to debunk vaccination misinformation. The study will leverage existing community relationships in Chicago and a first of its kind misinformation curriculum to debunk misinformation in communities served by participating promotores de salud. Dime La VerDAD (Verify, Debunk, and Disseminate) is an innovative social media capacity-building program based on theoretical frameworks related to health communication that empowers promotores de salud to debunk vaccine misinformation through the use of personal narratives on social media. This mixed methods study will use a rigorous stepped wedge design to 1) deliver a scalable program of science communicators using an adapted curriculum grounded in infodemiology, 2) evaluate how debunking misinformation is perceived on social media, and 3) discern how use of personal narratives to enhance science communication can lead to changes in opinions and behavior (vaccination rates) about COVID and influenza vaccines among Chicago's predominantly Hispanic communities.

Conditions

Misinformation, Influenza, COVID-19, Vaccine Hesitancy, Communication Research, Health Behavior

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Dime La VerDAD is an innovative social media capacity-building program that empowers promotores de salud to debunk vaccine misinformation through the use of personal narratives on social media. The core of the implementation strategy consists of augmenting training and self-efficacy for natural community champions, "promotores de salud" from the Hispanic community as trusted messengers to debunk vaccination misinformation. The study will leverage existing community relationships in Chicago and a first of its kind misinformation curriculum to debunk misinformation in communities served by participating promotores de salud. Dime La VerDAD (Verify, Debunk, and Disseminate) is an innovative social media capacity-building program based on theoretical frameworks related to health communication that empowers promotores de salud to debunk vaccine misinformation through the use of personal narratives on social media. This mixed methods study will use a rigorous stepped wedge design to 1) deliver a scalable program of science communicators using an adapted curriculum grounded in infodemiology, 2) evaluate how debunking misinformation is perceived on social media, and 3) discern how use of personal narratives to enhance science communication can lead to changes in opinions and behavior (vaccination rates) about COVID and influenza vaccines among Chicago's predominantly Hispanic communities.

Dime La VerDAD: Verify, Debunk, and Disseminate

Dime La VerDAD: Verify, Debunk, and Disseminate

Condition
Misinformation
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Chicago

Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612

Chicago

University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637

Iowa City

University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242

Ann Arbor

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • *
  • * Exclusion: Plans to stop working as a "promotor" before spring of 2027 (end of data collection planned). People can not participate if they are under the age of 18, or can not understand Spanish and English, or do not provide services in the included zip codes, or do not wish to participate in social media.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to 99 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Chicago,

Marina DelRios, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Chicago - Section of Emergency Medicine

Study Record Dates

2028-04-01