An Experimental Test of a Generic Messaging Approach for the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Health Communication

Background:

• Many Canadian adults do not meet national recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep.
• Current messaging strategies often use thresholds that may be unrealistic and discouraging for the target audience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the effectiveness of generic messages, compared to threshold messages, in enhancing Canadian adults' confidence to meet the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
• To assess the impact of messaging on self-efficacy beliefs among adults with varying activity levels.

Main Methods:

• An online study involving 249 Canadian adults who received either generic or threshold promotional materials for the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
• Pre-, post-, and two-week follow-up surveys were administered to measure confidence and message processing.
• Hierarchical linear regressions were used to analyze the data, with a focus on interactions between activity status and messaging condition.

Main Results:

• A significant interaction between activity status and experimental condition was found, indicating a differential effect of messaging types.
• Low active adults exposed to generic messages reported significantly greater confidence in meeting the Guidelines compared to those exposed to threshold messages.
• Adults exposed to generic messages showed higher message processing rates than those exposed to threshold messages.

Conclusions:

• Generic messaging is a valuable strategy for enhancing self-efficacy and confidence, particularly among low active Canadian adults.
• Achievable behavioral goals presented through generic messages can serve as an effective gateway for behavior change.
• Health organizations should consider utilizing generic motivational messages within segmented campaigns to promote adherence to movement behavior guidelines.