Social Marketing Risk‐Framing Approaches for Dental Sealants in Rural American Indian Children

Abstract

Objective To compare three variants of a culturally-relevant and theoretically-based message to determine the most influential risk framing approach for improving intention to place dental sealants for preschool children. Design and Sample A convenience sample of adult, American Indian participants (n = 89) attending a community health fair were assigned to view a gain-framed, loss-framed, or mix-framed dental sealant message. Measurements We compared participant's scores on a 46-item survey to determine the relative effect of the frame assignment on seven indices of behavior change. Results The mean difference in participant's stage-of-change scores (x = 1.17, n = 89, sd = 1.90) demonstrated a significant improvement for all groups after watching the dental sealant message t(88) = 5.81, p < .0001, 95% CI [0.77 – 1.57]. Self-efficacy was the only construct for which we detected a statistically significant difference as a function of frame assignment. Overall, the mix-framed message resulted in the highest scores. The gain-framed message was the least influential on four constructs. This finding is in contrast to findings that gain-framed oral health messages are most influential (Gallagher & Updegraff, 2012; O'Keefe & Jensen, 2007). Conclusions Community advisory board members determined to use the mix-framed approach in an oral-health social marketing campaign with a rural, American Indian audience.

Reducing Indigenous Oral Health Inequalities: A Review from 5 Nations

“…However, parents who watched the mixed-framed messages and the loss-framed messages had significantly higher self-efficacy scores than the gain-framed messages. This study provides evidence that viewing any message on dental sealants improved intention and stage-of-change scores without regard to framing approach (Larsson et al 2015).…”

“…Larsson et al (2015) assessed the social marketing risk-framing approach for improving intention to place dental sealants for preschool children. Eight-nine American Indian parents were assigned to view a gain-framed, loss-framed, or mixed-framed dental sealant message using digital signage technology.…”

“…Although both intervention and control groups experienced large caries increments over the 3-y test period, that increase was significantly lower among children whose parents participated actively in the program. Larsson et al (2015) assessed the social marketing riskframing approach for improving intention to place dental sealants for preschool children. Eight-nine American Indian parents were assigned to view a gain-framed, loss-framed, or mixed-framed dental sealant message using digital signage technology.…”

Developing Messaging Content for a Physical Activity Smartphone App Tailored to Low-Income Patients: User-Centered Design and Crowdsourcing Approach

“…It consisted of a feasibility study phase with English-speaking (n=5) and Spanish-speaking (n=5) primary care adult patients recruited from a safety-net health care setting. All participants (10/10, 100%) were diagnosed with depression, and 90% (9/10) had diabetes [30,38]. A subset of messages (n=34) was tested using a mixed methods approach that included a card sorting task and individual semistructured interviews.…”

From Foucault to Freire Through Facebook

“…Health communication theory offers critical opportunities to facilitate engagement with program content. We suggest that gain and loss framing (Rothman, Bartels, Wlaschin, & Salovey, 2006) and the elaboration likelihood model (Petty, Barden, & Wheeler, 2002) may be particularly relevant here, because of their capacity to increase engagement with message content rather than change in behavior per se, although there is evidence that both are achievable (Ko, Turner-McGrievy, & Campbell, 2014;Larsson et al, 2015;Mays et al, 2015). Gain and loss framing involves deciding the "frame" you will use to communicate an idea, where a "gain" frame emphasizes benefits of taking action, and "loss" frame emphasizes what you avoid by taking action.…”