COVID-19 Educational Materials for Reducing School Absenteeism

(ROSSEY Trial)

Overseen By Miriana Duran

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Washington

Disqualifiers: Incarceration, Dementia, Terminal illness, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to help K-5 schools reduce absenteeism by using COVID-19 educational comic books and videos. It will assess the needs and resources of rural Latino communities to support students returning to and staying in school. The trial will compare schools using these educational tools with those that do not, to measure effectiveness. It suits students and staff in participating schools who can access the internet and communicate in English or Spanish. Participants must also engage with study procedures, such as weekly check-ins and interviews.

As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to innovative educational strategies that could benefit their communities.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on educational materials and school attendance, so it's unlikely that medication changes are required.

What prior data suggests that these educational materials and testing methods are safe for use in schools?

Research has shown that using comic books and videos to teach kids about COVID-19 is safe. These materials help children learn about the virus and how to prevent its spread without involving medication or medical treatments.

Studies have found that comics and videos effectively help children understand COVID-19 without causing any issues. Designed to be fun and informative, these tools engage kids in learning about important health topics in an enjoyable way.

No safety concerns exist with these materials. They provide information to help kids stay healthy and safe at school. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using COVID-19 educational comic books and videos to reduce school absenteeism. Unlike traditional educational methods, these materials engage kids in a fun and relatable way, making it easier to understand and remember important health information. The goal is to help students and families better grasp preventive measures, potentially decreasing school absences due to COVID-19. By turning learning into an enjoyable experience, this approach might change how health education is delivered, leading to better health outcomes.

What evidence suggests that these COVID-19 educational materials could be effective for reducing school absenteeism?

Research has shown that comic books can effectively teach elementary school students about COVID-19. This engaging method simplifies the process for kids to understand how to stay safe and healthy. In this trial, one group of schools will receive COVID-19 health education through comic books and videos. Studies suggest that improved learning in children leads to better social and health outcomes, resulting in fewer missed school days. By learning about COVID-19 precautions in an engaging way, students are more likely to stay healthy and attend school regularly. ^{4 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Linda Ko, PhD, MPH

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This study is for K-5 students and staff at participating schools who can attend in-person at least twice a week. They must be willing to follow the study's rules, including weekly online check-ins and interviews, have reliable internet access, and speak English or Spanish. Those with severe health issues or impairments that limit participation are excluded.

Inclusion Criteria

Participant attends or works in a participating school for at least 2 days/week

Participant must be willing to comply with all study procedures, including weekly online check-ins and phone interviews

Participant should have consistent and reliable Internet access, either by smart phone or computer

Exclusion Criteria

Individuals who are incarcerated

Individuals with conditions that may preclude or limit the participant's ability to comply with study procedures, according to the investigators

I can give my consent or have someone legally authorized to do so on my behalf.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pilot Study

Conducting weekly novel coronavirus surveillance testing in one school to understand implementation steps and workflow

12 weeks

Weekly visits

Clustered RCT

Evaluate the effectiveness of risk communication on student attendance and participation in SARS-CoV-2 testing

18 months

Regular intervals for intervention delivery

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for absenteeism and secondary outcomes such as emotional regulation and perceived stress

9 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• COVID-19 Health Education Comic Books and Videos
• SARS-CoV-2 testing

Trial Overview The trial is testing COVID-19 educational materials like comic books and videos in schools to see if they help reduce absenteeism. Schools are randomly chosen to either use these materials or not, and researchers will compare the results between these groups.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: COVID-19 Comic Books and Videos Active Control 1 Intervention

This arm will include schools (n=7) and enrolled families from those schools that are randomized to receive the health education with comic books and videos focused on the benefits of preventive measures for COVID-19.

Group II: Control Group Active Control 1 Intervention

This arm will include schools(n=7) and the enrolled families from those schools assigned as the control group, who will not receive the COVID-19 health education comic books and video intervention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborator

Trials

2,103

Recruited

2,760,000+

Citations

1. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/376686520_Effectiveness_of_Education_Using_Comic_Media_on_Knowledge_About_Covid-19_Among_Elementary_School_Students/download

(PDF) Effectiveness of Education Using Comic Media on ... sion: Comic books are effective in increasing knowledge about COVID-19 in ESS. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences (2023) 19(4):40 ...

2. aecf.org aecf.org/blog/pandemic-learning-loss-impacting-young-peoples-futures

Pandemic Learning Loss and COVID-19: Education Impacts Learn about the negative impact of COVID-19 on education. Explore key findings on learning loss resulting from the pandemic today.

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8445757/

The Effect of COVID-19 on Education - PMC - PubMed Central The data from inclement weather closures did show a more significant decrease for children dependent on school meals, but generally the data were not stratified ...

4. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00099228231174772

School Absenteeism and the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role ... Extensive research has shown an unequivocal association between low educational achievement and poor social and health outcomes, including ...

5. learningpolicyinstitute.org learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/chronic-absenteeism-community-schools-report

Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: Lessons From Community ... Research shows that chronically absent students are more likely to fall behind academically, disengage socially, and drop out of school ...

6. youtube.com youtube.com/watch?v=ieivn2R8r1A

COVID-19 School Safety: Preventing the spread of germs In this video our COVID-19 hero, Lunga, shows little ones what they can do at school to prevent the spread of germs.

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9794086/

Accuracy of COVID-19 relevant knowledge among youth Can comics effectively convey scientific knowledge about COVID-19 to youth? What types and how many sources of information did youth have about COVID-19 ...

8. med.stanford.edu med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2020/08/animated-video-helps-kids-weather-the-covid-19-pandemic.html

Animated video helps kids weather the COVID-19 pandemic A Stanford Medicine educator worked on an animated video that helps children manage feelings of loneliness during the global COVID-19 pandemic.