Effects of Scalable, Wordless, Short, Animated Storytelling Videos on Flu Vaccine Hesitancy in China: Nationwide, Single-Blind, Parallel-Group, Randomized Controlled Trial

作者：Wenjin Chen, Lirui Jiao, Qiushi Chen, Zhoutao Zheng, Pascal Geldsetzer, Merlin Greuel, Jennifer Gates, Jingxia Zhao, Till Bärnighausen, Maya Adam, Simiao Chen, Chen Wang · 发表于：Journal of Medical Internet Research · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.2196/66758 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy、Media Influence and Health、Health Literacy and Information Accessibility

Background: Low influenza vaccination rates in China pose a serious public health threat. The vaccination prevents infection, but widespread vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier. Short, animated storytelling videos may help by conveying health messages in an engaging, culturally neutral format that transcends literacy barriers. Objective: We aim to investigate whether scalable, short, animated storytelling videos, using different storytelling techniques-humor, analogy, and emotion-could reduce influenza vaccine hesitancy among Chinese adults. Methods: In this single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial, we recruited adults in China through quota sampling. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 short, animated storytelling video intervention groups, each using a different storytelling technique (humor, analogy, or emotion) or a control group in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. After watching the video or being assigned to the control group, participants completed the questionnaire. Influenza vaccine hesitancy was compared between each intervention group and the control group, respectively, as well as between different intervention groups, with P values adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results: A total of 12,000 participants met the inclusion criteria. Participants in any scalable animated storytelling video group showed lower hesitancy than controls (mean difference -0.41, 95% CI -0.60 to -0.23; P<.001). Specifically, both intervention groups with humor (vide...