A young versus an older messenger: Effective health communication during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: Among other measures, increased hand hygiene is advocated globally to fight the spread of COVID-19. To increase compliance with preventative measures, public communication commonly highlights the importance of protecting the elderly, as they are most at risk to suffer severe consequences from contracting SARS-CoV-2. The goal of this study is to provide a first indication of whether using older messengers in COVID-19 communication materials is an effective tool to increase adherence to preventative behaviors.

Methods: In a randomized controlled trial conducted in cooperation with a Swiss supermarket chain during the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020, we examine the effectiveness of two types of messengers that vary in their age. The two experimental treatments feature a life-sized cardboard figure holding a “thank-you” sign placed next to a hand disinfection station. One treatment showed an older woman in her mid-60s who belongs to the COVID-19 risk group. The other treatment displayed a young woman who may be an effective messenger as she is a more standard communicator.

Results: We do not find a significant effect of the older figure on hand disinfection behavior compared to the control treatment. In contrast, with the young figure as a messenger, hand disinfection rates increase by 3.3 percentage points compared to the control treatment (p = 0.004, chi2-test). The young messenger also leads to higher disinfection rates compared to the older messenger (p = 0.025, chi2-test).

Conclusion: Our findings provide first evidence that using older people as messengers is not inherently the best option to increase compliance with preventative measures. We discuss avenues for future research and implications for health communication.

Keywords: COVID-19, Messenger effects, Age, Hand hygiene, Randomized controlled trial, Behavioral public policy