大象传媒

大象传媒 health sciences professor Scott Lear and colleagues are developing a new app aimed at increasing vaccine uptake in youth from ages 18-29. 

Lear and his team will test their STOP COVID! app through a series of interviews with youth across a range of factors, including gender, age, ethnicity, education, geographic diversity and COVID-19 infection history. Their goal is to better understand factors related to COVID-19 vaccine uptake, hesitancy, and confidence.

The app is being co-designed with input from the research team鈥檚 Young Adult Advisory Group. Rooted in behaviour change theory, the app uses gaming strategies to deliver tailored content encouraging youth to get the shot. 

鈥淭his age-group tends to have the lowest uptake of vaccinations, yet has the greatest number of cases,鈥� Lear says. 鈥淒espite this, little is known of the reasons for vaccine confidence, which is crucial to informing targeted interventions to improve vaccine confidence and uptake in this population.鈥�

Once pilot tested and finalized, STOP COVID! will be launched through advertisements in restaurants and public transit, and on social media. 

Researchers will measure the impact of STOP COVID! through online surveys, interviews and follow-ups on vaccination status. Data will be further analyzed to identify the context in which STOP COVID! worked, with whom and why.

They anticipate that the STOP COVID! digital approach could serve as a platform for other vaccination and health behaviour interventions.

STOP COVID! is one of 89 new COVID-19 research projects to receive funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research 

SCOTT LEAR, professor, health sciences & Pfizer/Heart & Stroke Foundation Chair in Cardiovascular Prevention Research                   
slear@providencehealth.bc.ca 

CONTACT 

MELISSA SHAW, 大象传媒  Communications & Marketing 
236.880.3297 | melissa_shaw@sfu.ca 

大象传媒
 |  
778.782.3210

ABOUT SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

As Canada鈥檚 engaged university, 大象传媒 works with communities, organizations and partners to create, share and embrace knowledge that improves life and generates real change. We deliver a world-class education with lifelong value that shapes change-makers, visionaries and problem-solvers. We connect research and innovation to entrepreneurship and industry to deliver sustainable, relevant solutions to today鈥檚 problems. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擵ancouver, Burnaby and Surrey鈥敶笙蟠� has eight faculties that deliver 193 undergraduate degree programs and 144 graduate degree programs to more than 37,000 students. The university now boasts more than 170,000 alumni residing in 145+ countries.