Developing translational products for adapting evidence-based physical activity interventions in rural communities.

The development and distribution of educational materials is a key strategy to support the implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs). Rural communities have higher rates of physical inactivity and face higher burden of many diseases that increased physical activity can prevent. To support the translation of a developed physical activity intervention for adults in micropolitan communities (10,000-50,000 people), called Active Iowa, the University of Iowa Prevention Research Center for Rural Health (PRC-RH) created a toolkit and supplemental resources designed to guide implementers through the implementation of the intervention. Through a community-engaged process, the PRC-RH underwent three phases of review and evaluation of the developed products. The first phase involved the Community Advisory Board from the pilot intervention, the second involved the PRC-RH State Advisory Board and public health practitioners from across the state, and the third involved micropolitan leaders and micropolitan health department staff. The feedback received through these three phases resulted in changes to the developed products to improve usability, readability, and clarity. The feedback also resulted in the development of additional materials to further support the implementation of the intervention. The success the PRC-RH experienced in the review process can be attributed to the strong, established partnerships with practitioners across the state who represented a variety of community roles and organizations. The developed materials can be used to improve physical activity rates in rural and micropolitan communities, in turn reducing chronic diseases and improving the quality of life for rural residents.

Efficacy-focused and autonomy-supportive messaging in social media vaccine campaigns: insights from a Facebook split test.

BACKGROUND: In the context of social media vaccine campaigns, understanding the impact of message framing on audience engagement is crucial. This study examines the efficacy of messages centered on efficacy versus autonomy, informed by theoretical frameworks: the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and Self Determination Theory (SDT). METHODS: Utilizing the Facebook A/B Split Test (FBST) feature, an online experiment was conducted to compare the response to two different messages: one emphasizing vaccine efficacy (EPPM-informed) and the other focusing on individual autonomy in making vaccine decisions (SDT-informed). The primary measure of interest was the number of clicks on a link directing to a pro-vaccine website. RESULTS: The findings indicated that the autonomy-centered (SDT-informed) message resulted in a significantly higher click-through rate to the pro-vaccine website, particularly among users aged 65 and above. Furthermore, analysis of comments from Facebook users identified factors potentially contributing to vaccine hesitancy, with mistrust being the most dominant. CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the importance of tailoring social media vaccine campaigns to address the autonomy needs of the target audience while considering trust-related issues to mitigate vaccine hesitancy. Emphasizing individual autonomy in vaccine decision-making processes can enhance engagement with pro-vaccine content, especially in older demographics.