Eyes on Prevention: An Eye-Tracking Analysis of Visual Attention Patterns in Breast Cancer Screening Ads

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Visual Attention Studies

Background:

• Effective communication strategies are crucial for translating breast cancer screening availability into actual screening uptake among eligible women.
• Understanding how design features in public service advertisements (PSAs) influence visual attention is key to optimizing screening promotion.

Purpose of the Study:

• This study investigated the impact of design elements in breast cancer screening advertisements on visual attention patterns in women aged 40 years and older.
• The research aimed to identify specific design features that effectively direct attention towards critical information within screening PSAs.

Main Methods:

• A within-subjects eye-tracking experiment was conducted with 30 screening-eligible women who viewed six static breast cancer screening PSAs.
• Key Areas of Interest (AOIs) including Text, Image/Visual, Symbol, Logo, Website/Call to Action (CTA), and Source/Authority were defined and analyzed.
• Measures such as Time to First Fixation (TTFF), Fixation Count (FC), and Fixation Duration (FD) were calculated to quantify visual attention.

Main Results:

• While overall differences in attention measures across stimulus categories were small, individual differences in AOI viewing were pronounced.
• Narrative text and dense icon/text callouts increased processing times, whereas institutional logos and abstract symbols received less attention unless paired with action triggers.
• The 'Scan-Then-Read' strategy was suggested by TTFF data, with smaller elements like labels and sources being attended to before larger text.

Conclusions:

• Breast cancer screening messages should strategically co-locate access and credibility information in areas that capture attention early.
• Employing brief, easily understood efficacy text is recommended to sustain viewer gaze and enhance message processing.
• The findings offer practical, evidence-based design recommendations for breast cancer screening PSAs, particularly for programs in Greece and the EU.