The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge

Background . Research remains inconclusive about the most effective frame for encouraging health preventative behaviors. Aims . To examine the impact of gain- and loss-framed health messages on nutrition and physical activity (PA) knowledge in fourth-grade youth participating in the Shaping Healthy...

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Main Authors: Deborah S. Fetter PhD, Madan Dharmar MBBS, PhD, Suzanne Lawry-Hall MS, Jona Pressman BS, Jamie Chapman, Rachel E. Scherr PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2019-06-01
Series:Global Pediatric Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X19857405
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spelling doaj-062a3f104474462eb6aaf964af64fc182020-11-25T03:26:21ZengSAGE PublishingGlobal Pediatric Health2333-794X2019-06-01610.1177/2333794X19857405The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity KnowledgeDeborah S. Fetter PhD0Madan Dharmar MBBS, PhD1Suzanne Lawry-Hall MS2Jona Pressman BS3Jamie Chapman4Rachel E. Scherr PhD5University of California, Davis, CA, USAUniversity of California, Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USACooperative Extension, Butte County, Oroville, CA, USACooperative Extension, Butte County, Oroville, CA, USACooperative Extension, Butte County, Oroville, CA, USAUniversity of California, Davis, CA, USABackground . Research remains inconclusive about the most effective frame for encouraging health preventative behaviors. Aims . To examine the impact of gain- and loss-framed health messages on nutrition and physical activity (PA) knowledge in fourth-grade youth participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program (SHCP), a multicomponent nutrition program. Methods . Youth were recruited to participate in this 9-month quasi-experimental study and divided into 3 groups: (1) comparison (n = 50), (2) loss-framed (n = 76), and (3) gain-framed (n = 67). All youth participated in the SHCP, and the gain- and loss-framed groups also viewed weekly health messages. Paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, ANOVA (analysis of variance), and Bonferroni for multiple comparisons were used for analysis. Results . Youth who participated in the SHCP improved nutrition knowledge (+2.0 points; P < .01) and PA knowledge (+1.8 points; P < .01). Nutrition knowledge improved in the comparison group (+1.3 points; P = .04), loss-framed group (+1.9 points; P = .01), and gain-framed group (+2.6 points; P = .01). Improvements in PA knowledge were also demonstrated in the comparison group (+1.6 points; P < .01), the loss-framed group (+1.3 points; P < .01), and the gain-framed group (+2.5 points; P = .01). There were no significant differences between groups. Youth in the loss-framed group reported a decrease in self-efficacy (−1.2; P = .05), while this was not observed in the other groups. Discussion . The SHCP improves nutrition and PA knowledge, and the positive reinforcement further strengthens some of these improvements, while loss-framed messaging can contribute to undesirable outcomes. Conclusions . Incorporating positive reinforcement through gain-framed messages can be a relatively low-cost avenue for supporting beneficial outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X19857405
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Deborah S. Fetter PhD
Madan Dharmar MBBS, PhD
Suzanne Lawry-Hall MS
Jona Pressman BS
Jamie Chapman
Rachel E. Scherr PhD
spellingShingle Deborah S. Fetter PhD
Madan Dharmar MBBS, PhD
Suzanne Lawry-Hall MS
Jona Pressman BS
Jamie Chapman
Rachel E. Scherr PhD
The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge
Global Pediatric Health
author_facet Deborah S. Fetter PhD
Madan Dharmar MBBS, PhD
Suzanne Lawry-Hall MS
Jona Pressman BS
Jamie Chapman
Rachel E. Scherr PhD
author_sort Deborah S. Fetter PhD
title The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge
title_short The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge
title_full The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge
title_fullStr The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge
title_full_unstemmed The Influence of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Health Messages on Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge
title_sort influence of gain-framed and loss-framed health messages on nutrition and physical activity knowledge
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Global Pediatric Health
issn 2333-794X
publishDate 2019-06-01
description Background . Research remains inconclusive about the most effective frame for encouraging health preventative behaviors. Aims . To examine the impact of gain- and loss-framed health messages on nutrition and physical activity (PA) knowledge in fourth-grade youth participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program (SHCP), a multicomponent nutrition program. Methods . Youth were recruited to participate in this 9-month quasi-experimental study and divided into 3 groups: (1) comparison (n = 50), (2) loss-framed (n = 76), and (3) gain-framed (n = 67). All youth participated in the SHCP, and the gain- and loss-framed groups also viewed weekly health messages. Paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, ANOVA (analysis of variance), and Bonferroni for multiple comparisons were used for analysis. Results . Youth who participated in the SHCP improved nutrition knowledge (+2.0 points; P < .01) and PA knowledge (+1.8 points; P < .01). Nutrition knowledge improved in the comparison group (+1.3 points; P = .04), loss-framed group (+1.9 points; P = .01), and gain-framed group (+2.6 points; P = .01). Improvements in PA knowledge were also demonstrated in the comparison group (+1.6 points; P < .01), the loss-framed group (+1.3 points; P < .01), and the gain-framed group (+2.5 points; P = .01). There were no significant differences between groups. Youth in the loss-framed group reported a decrease in self-efficacy (−1.2; P = .05), while this was not observed in the other groups. Discussion . The SHCP improves nutrition and PA knowledge, and the positive reinforcement further strengthens some of these improvements, while loss-framed messaging can contribute to undesirable outcomes. Conclusions . Incorporating positive reinforcement through gain-framed messages can be a relatively low-cost avenue for supporting beneficial outcomes.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X19857405
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