Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets
Objective: Mental imagery interventions are a cost-effective way of promoting health behaviour change. We tested a mental imagery intervention designed to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: A four-arm randomized controlled trial to explore poten...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Routledge
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/7154/1/2021_p%26h_Very%20small%20effects.docx |
| _version_ | 1804072703866437632 |
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| author | Conroy, Dominic Smith, Debbie M. Armitage, Christopher J. |
| author_facet | Conroy, Dominic Smith, Debbie M. Armitage, Christopher J. |
| author_sort | Conroy, Dominic |
| collection | LMU |
| description | Objective:
Mental imagery interventions are a cost-effective way of promoting health behaviour change. We tested a mental imagery intervention designed to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design:
A four-arm randomized controlled trial to explore potential mechanisms of action.
Main outcome measures:
Measures of behaviour (frequency of self-reported face covering adherence), theory of planned behaviour constructs (i.e., intention, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control), personality traits, imagery ability and barrier self-efficacy were measured at baseline (T1). Behaviour was also assessed at four-week follow up (T2).
Results:
Of 297 participants, a majority always wore face coverings (N = 216, 73% overall sample). Logistic regression analyses revealed no intervention effects on changes in adherence to wearing face coverings, though T1 wearing of face coverings and being male predicted T2 behaviour. Subgroup analysis of participants with ‘suboptimal T1 adherence’, revealed that T2 non-adherence was predicted by being a non-student and by subjective norms and lower T1 intention to wear face coverings.
Conclusion:
Imagery-based interventions to increase face covering wearing adherence may exert significant public health effects but only when conducted on a very large scale. Our findings suggest that interventions should target men and disrupt habitual past behaviour. |
| first_indexed | 2024-07-09T04:03:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:7154 |
| institution | London Metropolitan University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-07-09T04:03:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Routledge |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:71542023-09-14T09:00:50Z http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/7154/ Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets Conroy, Dominic Smith, Debbie M. Armitage, Christopher J. 150 Psychology Objective: Mental imagery interventions are a cost-effective way of promoting health behaviour change. We tested a mental imagery intervention designed to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: A four-arm randomized controlled trial to explore potential mechanisms of action. Main outcome measures: Measures of behaviour (frequency of self-reported face covering adherence), theory of planned behaviour constructs (i.e., intention, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control), personality traits, imagery ability and barrier self-efficacy were measured at baseline (T1). Behaviour was also assessed at four-week follow up (T2). Results: Of 297 participants, a majority always wore face coverings (N = 216, 73% overall sample). Logistic regression analyses revealed no intervention effects on changes in adherence to wearing face coverings, though T1 wearing of face coverings and being male predicted T2 behaviour. Subgroup analysis of participants with ‘suboptimal T1 adherence’, revealed that T2 non-adherence was predicted by being a non-student and by subjective norms and lower T1 intention to wear face coverings. Conclusion: Imagery-based interventions to increase face covering wearing adherence may exert significant public health effects but only when conducted on a very large scale. Our findings suggest that interventions should target men and disrupt habitual past behaviour. Routledge 2022-01-11 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_nc_4 https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/7154/1/2021_p%26h_Very%20small%20effects.docx Conroy, Dominic, Smith, Debbie M. and Armitage, Christopher J. (2022) Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets. Psychology & Health, 38 (10). pp. 1288-1308. ISSN 0887-0446 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2021.2012574 10.1080/08870446.2021.2012574 |
| spellingShingle | 150 Psychology Conroy, Dominic Smith, Debbie M. Armitage, Christopher J. Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets |
| title | Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets |
| title_full | Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets |
| title_fullStr | Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets |
| title_short | Very small effects of an imagery-based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets |
| title_sort | very small effects of an imagery based randomised trial to promote adherence to wearing face coverings during the covid 19 pandemic and identification of future intervention targets |
| topic | 150 Psychology |
| url | https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/7154/1/2021_p%26h_Very%20small%20effects.docx |
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