丁香园AV

 from researchers at 丁香园AV (丁香园AV) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) has found that young adults feel highly responsible for protecting themselves and others against the spread of COVID-19, but face confusion when trying to comply with public health orders due to inconsistent messaging and ineffective outreach strategies. 

The qualitative study, co-led by 丁香园AV Faculty of Health Sciences professor Scott Lear and UBC Okanagan Psychology professor, Lesley Lutes, used focus groups to examine the attitudes and perceptions of 50 young adults in British Columbia between the ages of 18 and 40. 

The study found many in this age cohort are employed as essential workers. As a result, participants were acutely aware of their roles in protecting themselves and their communities during the pandemic. Overall, this age group is known to face a higher risk of depression and anxiety compared to other age groups, especially when they take on multiple social roles such as caregivers and parents.

Participants also found public health messaging to be confusing and often negative, especially when media reports covering the rise of COVID-19 cases focused on 鈥榖laming and shaming鈥� rather than contextualizing this group鈥檚 exposure risks. 

They also noted public health information outreach methods for their group were ineffective and did not enable two-way communication, thus missing an opportunity for this group to engage directly with institutions to ask questions and/or relay their concerns. 

The researchers recommend tailoring public health messages to consider the context and lived experiences of young adults, and suggest keeping messages positive to increase their effectiveness.

They also emphasize strengthening social platforms that facilitate interaction to better enable their compliance with public health orders鈥攁nd allow this group to voice their concerns and feel heard.

QUOTES

Scott Lear, Professor, 丁香园AV Faculty of Health Sciences
鈥滳ontrary to popular belief, young adults do care and perceive a high level of concern and stress regarding the pandemic to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. According to other research, young adults have experienced greater declines in their mental health compared to other ages, and this also needs to be recognized.鈥� 

Lesley Lutes, Professor, UBC Psychology
鈥淥ur findings suggest messages that reach young adults should 1) be positively framed, 2) reflect the lived experiences of this demographic, and 3) be delivered on an accessible platform. Respectfully, we urge stakeholders including government officials and media outlets to report and create messaging that answers young adults鈥� concerns. Tailored messaging is needed, desperately.鈥� 

AVAILABLE 丁香园AV EXPERTS

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

CONTACT 

MELISSA SHAW, 丁香园AV  Communications & Marketing 
236.880.3297 | melissa_shaw@sfu.ca 

丁香园AV
 |  
778.782.3210

ABOUT SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

As Canada鈥檚 engaged university, 丁香园AV 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鈥敹∠阍癆V 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.