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Does message framing affect intentions to improve diet and physical activity? A randomized study in UK adults
G Landi1, G Finlayson1, C Keyworth1
1School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Psychology, Health & Medicine
|May 13, 2025
Summary
Health messages are more effective for diet changes in highly stressed individuals when they focus on short-term gains. Body Mass Index (BMI) also predicts intentions for diet and physical activity.
Area of Science:
- Health Communication
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines emphasize physical activity and healthy diets for physical and mental well-being.
- Effective health communication is crucial for influencing behavior change towards healthier lifestyles.
- Perceived stress and Body Mass Index (BMI) are critical variables that may influence health behaviors and message effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the effectiveness of message framing and temporal focus on behavioral intentions for increasing physical activity and improving diet.
- To investigate the moderating roles of perceived stress and BMI in health communication strategies.
- To identify predictors of behavioral intentions related to diet and physical activity.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional between-subjects study with 190 participants.
- Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to examine main and interaction effects of message frame and temporal focus on behavioral intentions.
- Regression analyses to determine predictors of behavioral intentions, including perceived stress and BMI.
Main Results:
- No significant main effects or two-way interactions were found for message frame or focus on intentions for physical activity.
- A significant three-way interaction revealed that individuals with higher perceived stress showed greater intention to improve diet with gain-framed, short-term focused messages.
- BMI was a significant predictor for both dietary improvement and physical activity intentions.
Conclusions:
- Tailoring health messages based on temporal focus and framing, particularly for individuals experiencing high stress, may enhance dietary behavior change.
- BMI is a significant factor influencing intentions for both diet and physical activity.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the efficacy of message framing in health communication for preventive behaviors.
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