ERIC Number: EJ1313625
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Oct
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1981
EISSN: N/A
Communication Campaigns to Support the Use of Nutritional Warnings: Different Messages for Different People?
Ares, Gastón; Vidal, Leticia; Otterbring, Tobias; Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica; Curutchet, María Rosa; Giménez, Ana; Bove, Isabel
Health Education & Behavior, v48 n5 p584-594 Oct 2021
Communication campaigns are expected to contribute to increase the efficacy of nutritional warnings. In this context, the aims of the present work were (a) to evaluate how citizens perceive different types of messages for a communication campaign and (b) to determine if personal characteristics such as gender, age, and educational level, as well socioeconomic and nutritional status, moderate how citizens perceive such campaign messages. A series of graphic pieces were designed for each of the following three types of messages: promotion of informed food choices; raising awareness of the negative health consequences of excessive consumption of sugar, fat, and sodium; and promotion of healthy food choices. An online study was conducted with 774 participants, who were randomly assigned to one of the three types of messages. The participants' self-reported perception of the graphic pieces was evaluated using 7-point Likert-type scales. After completing the evaluation task, the participants proceeded to a series of choices. This was implemented to evaluate whether exposure to different types of messages affected hypothetical food choices. Results revealed that messages related to the promotion of healthy eating were perceived as the most adequate as part of a communication campaign and had the potential to encourage more healthful hypothetical choices in the experimental task. However, gender, age, and nutritional status moderated the influence of the type of message on the participants' perception, meaning that different groups perceived different types of messages as the most adequate. The results from the present work stress the need to include different types of messages in a communication campaign to target individuals with different motivations and characteristics.
Descriptors: Public Health, Public Opinion, Information Dissemination, Individual Characteristics, Food, Eating Habits, Health Behavior, Behavior Change, Health Promotion, Gender Differences, Age Differences, Foreign Countries, Merchandise Information, Program Effectiveness, Visual Aids
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Uruguay
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A