Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

University of Chicago

Code:

NCT06417762

Conditions

Influenza

COVID-19

Communication Research

Health Behavior

Respiratory Viral Infection

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Science Communication Curriculum Cohort 1

Science communication curriculum Cohort 2

Science communication curriculum Cohort 3

Science communication curriculum Cohort 4

Study Details

Brief summary:

Dime la Verdad (Tell me the truth) will evaluate the use of storytelling by community health workers as a communication strategy to disseminate reliable health information on social media and encourage informed decision-making in favor of recommended immunizations in communities with high morbidity and mortality due to respiratory virus infections.

Dime La Verdad is an innovative social media capacity-building program based on theoretical frameworks related to health communication that empowers community health workers to disseminate reliable information about respiratory virus protection strategies through the use of personal narratives on social media. The proposed work will use a rigorous stepped wedge design to 1) deliver a scalable program of science communicators using an adapted curriculum grounded in principles of health communication, 2) evaluate how diffusion of health messaging is perceived on social media, and 3) discern how use of personal narratives to enhance science communication can encourage informed decision-making to promote evidence-based immunization practices and improve health outcomes.

Conditions

Influenza

COVID-19

Communication Research

Health Behavior

Respiratory Viral Infection

Study ID

NCT06417762

Start date

Jul 2, 2024

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Apr 1, 2029

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18 years or older
2. Fluent in English or Spanish
3. Provide services as a community health worker or similar designation in at least one of the seven communities with high morbidity and mortality due to respiratory virus infections
4. Have a social media presence (personal or work related)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Plan to stop working as a community health worker or similar designation before spring of 2028 (end of data collection planned)
2. Do not wish to participate in a social media campaign

Study Design

Enrollment

1400 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Sequential

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

no intervention: Control: One year baseline period

Initial baseline period before rollout of the intervention in seven communities with high morbidity and mortality due to respiratory virus infections.

experimental: Experimental: Cohort 1 participation in science communication curriculum

Community health workers servicing two geographically adjacent community areas out of the seven selected for participation in this study will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. The core of the implementation strategy consists of augmenting training and self-efficacy for natural community champions as trusted messengers to diffuse reliable information.

experimental: Experimental: Cohort 2 participation in science communication curriculum

Community health workers servicing two geographically adjacent community areas out of the seven selected for participation in this study will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. The core of the implementation strategy consists of augmenting training and self-efficacy for natural community champions as trusted messengers to diffuse reliable information.

experimental: Experimental: Cohort 3 participation in science communication curriculum

Community health workers servicing three geographically adjacent community areas out of the seven selected for participation in this study will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. The core of the implementation strategy consists of augmenting training and self-efficacy for natural community champions as trusted messengers to diffuse reliable information.

experimental: Experimental: Cohort 4 participation in science communication curriculum

Community health workers servicing one community area out of the seven selected for participation in this study will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. The core of the implementation strategy consists of augmenting training and self-efficacy for natural community champions as trusted messengers to diffuse reliable information.

Interventions

Science Communication Curriculum Cohort 1

Community health workers will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. Community health workers will share their final infographic and final post / social media strategy.

Science communication curriculum Cohort 2

Community health workers will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. Community health workers will share their final infographic and final post / social media strategy.

Science communication curriculum Cohort 3

Community health workers will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. Community health workers will share their final infographic and final post / social media strategy.

Science communication curriculum Cohort 4

Community health workers will receive a tailored curriculum where they can learn to diffuse reliable information and create infographics and media as well as incorporate their personal narratives into social media posts for their communities. Community health workers will share their final infographic and final post / social media strategy.

Primary outcome measure

  • Uptake of respiratory virus protection strategies among Community health workers' social media followers [ Time Frame: Year 2 - Year 4 ]
  • Community health workers Social Media Self-Efficacy [ Time Frame: Year 1 - Year 3 ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Yajaira Bolanos Flores, MPH

773-571-0613Yajaira.BolanosFlores@bsd.uchicago.edu

Locations

University of Chicago

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637

Contacts

Marina Del Rios, MD

marina.delrios@bsd.uchicago.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Chicago

Last update posted

Aug 26, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-20. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Chicago on 2026-08-26.