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COVID-19 vaccination rates remain lower among adolescents compared with adults. Youth participatory action research (YPAR) offers opportunities to inform youth vaccine communication at the local and population level. However, few studies have integrated systematic health communication research with YPAR. In the current study, a diverse team of paid high school interns, undergraduate student mentors and communication researchers in West Philadelphia YPAR programs developed a theory-informed communication survey to measure teen COVID-19 vaccine beliefs, information sources and behavior. The survey was distributed locally and informed youth-created vaccine campaign messages. In addition, YPAR-derived survey measures complimented a qualitative online elicitation survey with US young adults. Responses were coded using inductive content analysis, informing measures for a subsequent population-level study of young adults. This research followed protocols approved by an Institutional Review Board. Applying a YPAR framework elevated youth voices in the study development process. Communication theory and methods aided the development of survey studies to advance both local YPAR program objectives and population-level research. Future implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth offer valuable insight on health communication needs and solutions in their communities. We propose youth participatory action communication research (YPACR) as a model for health campaign development that engages youth perspectives in applying systematic theory-informed communication research to addressing youth-identified health priorities. YPACR informed a series of paid high school internship programs in West Philadelphia, in which youth interns identified mental health help-seeking communication as a need among peers. In Phase 1, guided by the reasoned action approach and Hornik & Woolf method, youth interns conducted a survey measuring behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs associated with mental health help-seeking, as well as trusted sources of mental health information, among local high school students. Survey results suggested control (self-efficacy) was an important message target and peers were trusted mental health information sources. In Phase 2, youth interns developed TikTok-style messages focused on strengthening control beliefs and promoting a youth-selected mental health support resource. Youth interns distributed an online survey experiment to test whether youth-created messages shown alongside resource information increased help-seeking self-efficacy compared to an information-only control. The YPACR framework contributed to youth-relevant campaign goals, study measurements, recruitment approaches, data interpretation, and message design. We discuss the benefits and challenges of this youth-driven health campaign development model and recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]