Development of an mHealth text message intervention to promote adherence to COVID-19 isolation recommendations for college students.

Important tools in preventing the spread of COVID-19 include contract tracing and adherence to isolation guidelines after a positive diagnosis of COVID-19. This is especially relevant among college students who are often away from support systems at home, living in high-density housing, and may not experience serious symptoms from COVID-19 while still contagious. As text message-based interventions have been found effective in addressing health behaviors among young adults, we conducted formative research to explore how text messaging could support students in adhering to isolation guidelines. A convenience sample of college students (n = 104) at one university. Methods: An online survey gathered students' perceptions of helpful components to include in a text message-based intervention. Results: Students expressed interest in receiving text messages with support, encouragement, and resources during their time in isolation following a COVID-19 diagnosis. Based on the results, we developed a text message-based intervention designed to provide motivation, support, distraction, and information on resources.