Qualitative Study to Explore Prospect Theory and Message Framing and Diet and Cancer Prevention-Related Issues Among African American Adolescents

Abstract

Aims-To develop and test cancer prevention messages based on Prospect theory on motivation to improve dietary intake in African American adolescents, and to explore other salient factors that may inform dietary intervention design and implementation in this population.Methods-Semi-structured in-person qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 AfricanAmerican male and female adolescents, 12-16 years, in North Carolina. Prospect theory and message framing were used to guide the design of the four sets of diet-related messages related to cancer prevention: short-term gain-, long-term gain-, short-term loss-, and long-term loss-framed messages. Data were also collected on demographic, behavioral, and psychological factors; usual health behaviors; and preferences for intervention delivery.Results-The majority of respondents found the gain-framed, short-term messages most salient for both fruits/vegetables (8 (61.5%)), and fat consumption (7 (53.8%)). For fat consumption only, 2Corresponding Author who will address correspondence and request for reprints: Jessie A. Satia, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, Phone: (919) Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Conclusions-Researchers conducting dietary interventions and education initiatives and medical professionals who counsel African American adolescents should consider using Prospect Theory as a theoretical framework, should focus on gain-framed short-term messages regarding cancer prevention, and should employ the Internet for data collection and intervention and information delivery. NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript Cancer Nurs. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 March 1.

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“…8,[14][15][16] Despite improvements in access to care (i.e., free vaccinations and free prenatal care), disparities in immunization coverage have not been eliminated. One method that has been studied as a way to change health behavior is message framing, backed by Prospect Theory, [17][18][19][20] which posits that individuals tend to avoid risks when considering gains and prefer risks when considering losses. 21 Thus, successful gain-framed messages promote the benefits of taking a risk (i.e., immunization during pregnancy), while loss-framed messages depict the costs of forgoing risk.…”

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“…In order to explore the reason, we compared the characteristics of sentences under each theme. The framing messages were commonly designed as sentences, consisting of presuppositions of conditional propositions (antecedent framing) and consequent propositions (consequent framing) [25,44]. The affirmative sentences were used as conditional sentences, and the profit phenomenon was described as a resulting sentence, which formed a gain-framed message.…”

Factors Associated With Influential Health-Promoting Messages on Social Media: Content Analysis of Sina Weibo

“…Romanowich and Lamb [ 50 ] posited that health education using gain-framed messages could be more useful for nonsmokers. A qualitative survey of African American adolescents by Satia et al [ 51 ] indicated greater consistency with gain-framed cancer prevention messages. Most research on the framing effects of health-promoting messages have been conducted by questionnaires or interviews [ 15 ].…”