Creating Innovative Vaccine Messaging by Engaging in Patient-Centered Design with Non-Vaccinating Older Adults

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Candidate: Aaron Scherer, PhD is a social psychologist who utilizes insights from the psychological sciences to create innovative preventive healthcare interventions, primarily for health risks that affect adults aged ≥50. Dr. Scherer’s long-term career objective is to become an independent investigator leading multidisciplinary research teams in the design and evaluation of innovative, patient-centered interventions to optimize the delivery and utilization of preventive health services for middle-aged and older adults. Research Context: Age-associated changes in immune function and chronic conditions coupled with suboptimal influenza vaccination rates (50%) result in adults aged ≥50 accounting for 95% of the 50,000 influenza-associated deaths that occur every year. Unfortunately, vaccine messaging strategies that health organizations currently utilize to increase vaccine uptake have been ineffective and, in some cases have worsened vaccine attitudes. Motivations to satisfy psychological needs such as managing threats, reducing uncertainty, and achieve social goals may bias how people process vaccine-related information and vaccine outcomes. “Motivational fit”, an alignment with a motive that undermines adult vaccine uptake, may be a more effective mechanism of behavior change to target with vaccine interventions than current approaches. Specific Aims: 1) Identify which motives have the strongest associations with vaccine outcomes for adults aged ≥50; 2) Collaborate with vaccine-hesitant adults aged ≥50 to create influenza vaccine messages that have motivational fit; 3) Conduct a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of a vaccine messaging efficacy study. Research Plan: To accomplish these aims, Dr. Scherer will use a national, demographically-diverse online sample of adults aged ≥50 to identify four motives that are most strongly associated with vaccine uptake (i.e., largest effect sizes) for adults aged ≥50 and test whether scales measuring these motives need to be vaccine- specific. He will then collaborate with vaccine-hesitant adults aged ≥50 to develop and test influenza vaccine messages targeting each of the four motives. Finally, he will conduct a pilot study with a clinical population to evaluate the feasibility of conducting planned efficacy studies of the motivational fit vaccine messages. Career Development Plan: Dr. Scherer will develop 1) foundational content knowledge in the aging process to engage in aging research, and expertise in 2) psychometrics; 3) patient-centered design; and 4) health services research with adults aged ≥50. Dr. Scherer’s training goals will be supported by close mentorship from an interdisciplinary team; advanced didactic coursework; and other career development opportunities. Environment: The University of Iowa offers an ideal environment for Dr. Scherer to pursue his training; with mentorship from well-established experts, additional guidance from an advisory committee, and a department dedicated to his long-term success in becoming an independent investigator in healthy aging research.