Covid Apps für junge Geflüchtete zur Infektionsprävention und Förderung der Impfbereitschaft
Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse
Asylum seekers and refugees accommodated in collective housings are exposed to a higher risk of contagion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CAYPVAR study aimed at imparting knowledge and correcting misinformation and myths about COVID-19 and available vaccines among Arabicspeaking adolescents and young adults. For this purpose, we developed and tested a smartphonebased intervention with elements from serious games to provide information in a culture-sensitive and age-adapted mode of presentation (the CAYPVAR app) alone and in combination with a group intervention targeting potential barriers for engaging in preventive behaviors. The intervention period was conceptualized over six weeks. The CAYPVAR app was composed of informative video clips to explain the biological basis of COVID-19, demonstrate behavior to prevent transmission, and combat misconceptions and myths about vaccination. Explanations were given in a YouTube-like interview setting by a native Arabic-speaking physician. Elements of gamification (quizzes, rewards for solving test items) were included. The manual of the group intervention was designed to foster the translation of prevention intentions into actual preventive behavior by providing planning on the basis of the health action process approach. The incentives for study participation was free internet access on a personalized basis (smartphone ID). However, the study encountered difficulties with recruitment and poor involvement of enrolled participants. Possible reasons for this might have been changing legal regulations in a dynamic pandemic situation (e.g., tightened contact restrictions), a new dominant virus variant (e.g., information provided in the videos becoming outdated), and factors specifically related to the target group (e.g., short term relocations, limited digital literacy). Of the 146 adolescents and young adults stating their willingness to participate, a total of 88 participants from 8 collective housing institutions could be included in the study. 61 male participants completed the baseline interview, which was organized as a face-to-face interview. If needed, a professional interpreter was present. Surprisingly, most of the participants had already been vaccinated at study enrollment and claimed to comply with preventive measures in an unrealistic extent. Factual disease knowledge was limited. Preoccupation with the information materials presented in the app steeply declined after study enrollment. Only 18 participants could be reached for the follow-up interview. Due to tightened contact restrictions in the autumn of 2021, the face-toface group interventions could not be held as planned. In sum, gamification and learning from smartphone content based on short instructional video clips requires a basic understanding of biological and IT-aspects as well as sufficient literacy and a living situation enabling the practical application of the behavioral prevention strategies learned from gaming contents. Therefore, transmission prevention in the target group should rely more on structural aspects than on changing behavior by sophisticated psychological interventions.
Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)
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Kultursensible Serious Games zur SARS-CoV-2 Infektionsprävention: Studienkonzept und Praxis. Preprint
Sipar, D., Bücheler, L., Haug, F., Haug, J., Comtesse, H., Pryss, R., Rosner, R. & Frick, U.
