Co-design and implement a COVID-19 vaccine uptake intervention within Chinese communities in England

Lead Research Organisation: University of Leicester
Department Name: Media and Communication

Abstract

This study addresses the call of the UK Government Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) (2020a) by investigating complex and multi-layered factors and determinants of Chinese communities' vaccine hesitancy, as well as the barriers and facilitators of vaccination uptake. Through focus groups (up to 16 groups), interviews (up to 20) and surveys (up to 1,000) with members of the Chinese communities and community workers, this study will address gaps in knowledge by exploring the understanding, attitude, risk perceptions, trust, source of information, barriers, facilitators, and concerns of the communities. The central aim of the study is to use the above empirical data to inform the co-design/development and implementation/evaluation of a communicative intervention to promote the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines with the Chinese communities. The study will then explore the opportunities to scale up its impact in other cities in England where there are large Chinese populations. It will also explore the possibility of adapting the resources developed from this study for other ethnic communities in collaboration with the Centre for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Health which has well-established connections with Black, Asian, Ethnic Minorities (BAME) communities. Core digital resources (app codes, databases) and content (radio jingle, animation story board, leaflets) will be produced as templates and made publicly available for cultural adaptation for other ethnic community organisations. The project will produce reports with advice, guidance and best practices for community organisations, the NHS Clinical Commission Groups (CCGs) and policy makers (e.g. Sage ethnicity subgroup) and a standard scholarly publication.
 
Title COVID-19 vaccination stories film 
Description Our research team and media production team produced a short film telling COVID-19 vaccination stories of three members of the Chinese communities - a Chinese international student, a restaurant owner and a retired Chinese traditional medicine doctor. The three characters are fictional but their concerns and experiences of COVID-19 vaccination are based on the true experiences which we collected in our empirical research from the Chinese communities. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The film uploaded on YouTube is widely viewed. We also had positive feedback from Chinese community working group. We intend to have an evaluation of the impact of the film in 2022. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Title COVID-19 vaccine animations 
Description Based on our underpinning empirical research, we created two sets of simple but accessible animations in Mandarin and Cantonese about COVID-19 vaccines which provide crucial information desired by our Chinese communities. These animations introduce 1) different types of COVID-19 vaccines (Mandarin), 2) how to access the vaccines (Mandarin) 3) possible side effects of the vaccines (Mandarin) and 4) vaccine misinformation/disinformation (Mandarin) 5) different types of COVID-19 vaccines (Cantonese), 6) how to access the vaccines (Cantonese) 7) possible side effects of the vaccines (Cantonese) and 8) vaccine misinformation/disinformation (Cantonese). 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The animations uploaded on YouTube are widely viewed. We also had positive feedback from Chinese community working group. We intend to evaluate the impact of the video in 2022. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Title Doctor Li debunk COVID-19 misinformation 
Description Doctor Li debunk COVID-19 misinformation in Mandarin with updated information on Omicron variant 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact This video has been shown in three public screening events to more than 200 members of the Chinese communities. 
 
Title GP debunks COVID 19 vaccine misinformation (Cantonese) 
Description In this recorded and edited interview, Dr Ann, a GP at the Vallance Centre in Manchester, debunked COVID-19 vaccines related misinformation and disinformation. The misinformation and disinformation discussed in this interview was collected from our underpinning empirical research. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The video uploaded on YouTube is widely viewed. We also had positive feedback from Chinese community working group. We intend to evaluate the impact of the video in 2022. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Title GP debunks COVID 19 vaccine misinformation (English) 
Description In this recorded and edited interview, Dr Gu, a GP at the Vallance Centre in Manchester, debunked COVID-19 vaccines related misinformation and disinformation. The misinformation and disinformation discussed in this interview was collected from our underpinning empirical research. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The film uploaded on YouTube is widely viewed. We also had positive feedback from Chinese community working group. We intend to evaluate the impact of the video in 2022. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Title Recorded Rap 
Description We created lyrics for a rap and recorded the rap about fighting COVID-19 with vaccines. The rap was broadcast on a Chinese community radio station that serving 8,000 communities users in Greater Manchester area. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The rap was broadcast on a Chinese community radio station that serving 8,000 communities users in Greater Manchester area. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Title Recorded poem recital 
Description We created a poem and recorded a recital of the poem about fighting COVID-19 with vaccines. The recital was broadcast on a Chinese community radio station that serves 8,000 communities users in Greater Manchester area. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The recital was broadcast on a Chinese community radio station that serves 8,000 communities users in Greater Manchester area. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Description Based on 27 focus groups with members of the Chinese communities, our study collected factors and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy within the Chinese communities, as well as the barriers and facilitators of vaccine uptake. Based on the understanding we designed a series of the communicative interventions (film, recorded interviews, rap, poem, animations and apps) and distributed the interventions to the Chinese communities. Initially assessment shows that the interventions are being positive received by the Chinese communities.
Exploitation Route The codes of our app design is open and available for others to use.
The report and academic publications (open access) will be useful for other researchers/practitioners who work on ethnic minority health.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare

URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Description Our findings underpinned the design our communicative interventions which have been distributed to the Chinese communities.
First Year Of Impact 2021
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services

 
Description ESRC Impact Acceleration Account
Amount £9,983 (GBP)
Organisation Economic and Social Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2022 
End 03/2023
 
Title Focus group recordings with Chinese community members 
Description 27 focus group recordings with members of the Chinese communities from varied socio-economic, demographic and geographical backgrounds. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The recording data have been transcribed, the data will then be cleaned and analysed. Academic publications and policy recommendations are expected to be developed from the data. Impact of the data is yet to be produced. 
 
Title COVID-19 vaccine communicative intervention 
Description The intervention materials developed by the above project include: a short film of vaccination stories, recorded interviews with Chinese GP, a poem and rap for community radio, eight animations about vaccination and a mobile phone app disseminating all the above resources. These materials have been disseminated to the communities and their impact is yet to be evaluated. 
Type Health and Social Care Services
Current Stage Of Development Initial development
Year Development Stage Completed 2021
Development Status Under active development/distribution
Impact Our communicative intervention materials are widely viewed by members of the Chinese communities. We also had positive feedback from Chinese community working group. Their impact will be evaluated in 2022. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0mQT1w_2id7L3zERptGlA/featured
 
Title Coviguide 
Description We developed a COVID-19 guidance application on the Android platform. The app includes all resources developed from our project. We intend to develop further functions for the app including an in-built survey. The app is open-sourced. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The app is freely available/downloadable to Chinese communities members. We also had positive feedback from Chinese community working group about the app functionality and usability. We intend to collect further data about the app use in 2022. 
URL https://github.com/lyu766/Coviguide-app
 
Description Community Radio interview 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The research team participated in a radio programme to talk about our project. We also presented our recorded poem recital and rap in the radio programme about COVID-19 vaccination.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Meetings with Chinese community member working group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A series of meetings with our Chinese community working groups were organised in 2021 to discuss their feedback on our media products (film, videos, animation and app)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Podcast 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A 33-minute podcast was produced in collaboration with the AHRC funded 'Pandemic and Beyond' project to promote our research. The podcast was available on several popular platforms such as Spotify. We are monitoring the listening rates.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHk0rSoGGu0&t=142s
 
Description Public screening event of COVID-19 vaccine health videos for Chinese communities in Leicester 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In collaboration with the Leicester Chinese Christian Church, I organised a large public engagement events featuring the screening of three COVID-19 vaccine health videos produced from my AHRC/UKRI funded COVID-19 rapid response project (2021). The event started with an introductory talk (10 mins) led by the PI Dr Sarah Gong highlighting the barriers and facilitators of COVID vaccine uptake among the UK Chinese communities, followed by screening of three COVID-19 vaccine health videos (15 mins in total) that address some of the barrier issues. The events then proceeded to a live doctor Q&As, public discussion and feedback session (30 mins). In total 45 members of the Chinese community attended the event and reported very positive responses (75% very satisfied about doctor interview video, and 80% very satisfied about the animations).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://festivalofsocialscience.com/events/public-screening-of-covid-19-vaccine-promotion-videos-eng...
 
Description Public screening event of COVID-19 vaccine health videos for Chinese communities in Manchester 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In collaboration with Wai Yin Society, I organised a large public engagement events featuring the screening of three COVID-19 vaccine health videos produced from my AHRC/UKRI funded COVID-19 rapid response project (2021). The event started with an introductory talk (10 mins) led by the PI Dr Sarah Gong highlighting the barriers and facilitators of COVID vaccine uptake among the UK Chinese communities, followed by screening of three COVID-19 vaccine health videos (15 mins in total) that address some of the barrier issues. The events then proceeded to a live doctor Q&As, public discussion and feedback session (30 mins). In total 115 members of the public attended the event and reported very positive attitude to COVID-19 vaccines.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://festivalofsocialscience.com/events/public-screening-of-covid-19-vaccine-promotion-videos-eng...
 
Description Public screening event of COVID-19 vaccine health videos for Chinese communities in Swansea 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In collaboration with the Chinese in Wales Association (CIWA), I organised a large public engagement events featuring the screening of three COVID-19 vaccine health videos produced from my AHRC/UKRI funded COVID-19 rapid response project (2021). The event started with an introductory talk (10 mins) led by the PI Dr Sarah Gong highlighting the barriers and facilitators of COVID vaccine uptake among the UK Chinese communities, followed by screening of three COVID-19 vaccine health videos (15 mins in total) that address some of the barrier issues. The events then proceeded to a live doctor Q&As, public discussion and feedback session (30 mins). In total 72 members of the public attended the event and reported very positive attitude to COVID-19 vaccines.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023