Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39891139›Full record

ReviewBMC public health2025

Strategies and resources used by public health units to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among priority groups: a behavioural science-informed review of three urban centres in Canada.

Tori Langmuir, Mackenzie Wilson, Nicola McCleary, Andrea M Patey, Karim Mekki, Hanan Ghazal, Elizabeth Estey Noad, Judy Buchan, Vinita Dubey, Jana Galley and 12 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Tori LangmuirCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Mackenzie WilsonCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Nicola McClearyThe Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, Canada.
Andrea M PateyCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Karim MekkiOttawa Public Health, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Hanan GhazalOttawa Public Health, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Elizabeth Estey NoadPeel Public Health, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Judy BuchanPeel Public Health, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Vinita DubeyToronto Public Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jana GalleyCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Emily GibsonCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Guillaume FontaineCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Maureen SmithCitizen Engagement Co-Lead, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Amjad AlghamyanUniversity of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Kimberly ThompsonThe Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jacob CrawshawCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Jeremy M GrimshawCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Trevor ArnasonOttawa Public Health, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Jamie BrehautCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Susan MichieCentre for Behaviour Change, University College London, London, UK.
Melissa BrouwersCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Justin PresseauCentre for Implementation Research, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada. jpresseau@ohri.ca.

Funding

CIHR EG3 179446
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnsuring widespread COVID-19 vaccine uptake is a public health priority in Canada and globally, particularly within communities that exhibit lower uptake rates and are at a higher risk of infection. Public health units (PHUs) have leveraged many resources to promote the uptake of recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses. Understanding barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake, and which strategies/resources have been used to address them to date, may help identify areas where further support could be provided. We sought to identify the strategies/resources used by PHUs to promote the uptake of the first and third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine among priority groups in their jurisdictions. We examined the alignment of these existing strategies/resources with behavioral science principles, to inform potential complementary strategies/resources.

methodsWe reviewed the online and in-person strategies/resources used by three PHUs in Ontario, Canada to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake among priority groups (Black and Eastern European populations, and/or neighbourhoods with low vaccine uptake or socioeconomic status). Strategies/resources were identified from PHU websites, social media, and PHU liaison. We used the Behaviour Change Techniques (BCT) Taxonomy - which describes 93 different ways of supporting behaviour change - to categorise the types of strategies/resources used, and the Theoretical Domains Framework - which synthesises 14 factors that can be barriers or facilitators to decisions and actions - to categorise the barriers and facilitators addressed by strategies/resources.

resultsPHUs operationalised 21 out of 93 BCTs, ranging from 15 to 20 BCTs per PHU. The most frequently operationalised BCTs were found in strategies/resources that provided information about COVID-19 infection and vaccines, increased access to COVID-19 vaccination, and integrated social supports such as community ambassadors and engagement sessions with healthcare professionals. Identified BCTs aligned most frequently with addressing barriers and facilitators related to Knowledge, Environmental context and resources, and Beliefs about consequences domains.

conclusionPHUs have used several BCTs to address different barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccine uptake for priority groups. Opportunities should be pursued to broaden the scope of BCTs used (e.g., operationalizing the pros and cons BCT) and barriers/facilitators addressed in strategies/resources for ongoing and future COVID-19 vaccine uptake efforts among general and prioritised populations.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesVaccinationBehavioral SciencesCanadaHumansOntarioPublic HealthCOVID-19 VaccinesBehavioural scienceBooster doseCommunity engagementCOVID-19 vaccineEquity deservingHealth psychologyPriority groupsVaccine uptake

Identifiers

PMID39891139
PMCPMC11786512

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.