Showing papers in "Journal of Health Communication in 2007"
TL;DR: Despite very good statistical power, the analysis finds no statistically significant differences in persuasiveness between gain- and loss-framed messages concerning other preventive actions such as safer-sex behaviors, skin cancer prevention behaviors, or diet and nutrition behaviors.
Abstract: A meta-analytic review of 93 studies (N = 21,656) finds that in disease prevention messages, gain-framed appeals, which emphasize the advantages of compliance with the communicator's recommendation, are statistically significantly more persuasive than loss-framed appeals, which emphasize the disadvantages of noncompliance. This difference is quite small (corresponding to r = .03), however, and appears attributable to a relatively large (and statistically significant) effect for messages advocating dental hygiene behaviors. Despite very good statistical power, the analysis finds no statistically significant differences in persuasiveness between gain- and loss-framed messages concerning other preventive actions such as safer-sex behaviors, skin cancer prevention behaviors, or diet and nutrition behaviors.
574 citations
TL;DR: This article analyzed the way the media presented the question of who is responsible for causing and fixing the problem of obesity and found that over the last 10 years, mentions of personal causes and solutions significantly outnumbered societal attributions of responsibility.
Abstract: Analyzing newspaper articles and television news, we explore how American news media have framed the issue of obesity. More specifically, we analyze the way the media present the question of who is responsible for causing and fixing the problem. Our data reveal that over the last 10 years, mentions of personal causes and solutions significantly have outnumbered societal attributions of responsibility. Recently, however, a balance was established between individualistic and societal attributions of responsibility. Mentions of societal causes and solutions have increased considerably, whereas decreasing numbers of personal solutions have appeared in the media. Findings also indicate that television news is more likely than newspapers to mention personal solutions, but less likely to attribute the responsibility to society.
368 citations
TL;DR: Perceptions of traditional information sources are posited to predict use of the Web to seek health information and perceptions of information acquired from searches and the implications for research on information seeking and the role of the World Wide Web in patient empowerment are discussed.
Abstract: As medical information becomes increasingly available and individuals take a more active role in managing their personal health, it is essential for scholars to better understand the general public's information-seeking behavior. The study reported here explores the use of the World Wide Web to seek health information in a contemporary information-media environment. Drawing from uses and gratifications theory and the comprehensive model of health information seeking, perceptions of traditional information sources (e.g., mass media, one's health care provider, etc.) are posited to predict use of the Web to seek health information and perceptions of information acquired from searches. Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS; N = 3982) were analyzed to test study hypotheses. Trust in information-oriented media, entertainment-oriented media, and one's health care provider all predicted Web use behavior and perceptions. The implications of the findings for research on information seeking and the role of the Web in patient empowerment are discussed.
215 citations
TL;DR: Patients' willingness to have their reading ability documented in their medical records and the degree of shame and embarrassment associated with such disclosure are investigated and patients with limited literacy were more likely to report feelings of shame as a result of disclosure.
Abstract: We investigated patients' willingness to have their reading ability documented in their medical records and the degree of shame and embarrassment associated with such disclosure. Structured interviews were conducted among a consecutive sample of 283 primary care patients at an urban public hospital. Patients' literacy was measured using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM). Self-report of degree of shame and embarrassment related to literacy skills was measured using an orally administered questionnaire. Fifty-one percent of patients had low literacy skills (≤sixth grade) and 27.9% were assessed as having marginal literacy (seventh–eighth grade). Half (47.6%) of patients reading at or below the third-grade level admitted feeling ashamed or embarrassed about their difficulties reading, compared with 19.2% of those reading at the fourth–sixth-grade level and 6.5% of those reading at the seventh–eighth-grade level (p < 0.001). More than 90% of patients with low or marginal literacy report...
193 citations
TL;DR: The proposition that a popular form of entertainment, the telenovela, can educate Spanish-speaking viewers in the United States if accurate health information is presented in a dramatic, narrative format is examined.
Abstract: This article examines the proposition that a popular form of entertainment, the telenovela, can educate Spanish-speaking viewers in the United States if accurate health information is presented in a dramatic, narrative format. Health professionals consulted on a breast cancer storyline in a Spanish-language telenovela, Ladron de Corazones, and the impact on viewers' knowledge and behavioral intentions were assessed using three methods. First, an analysis of call attempts to 1-800-4-CANCER demonstrated a significant increase in calls when a PSA featuring the number aired during the program. Second, a nationwide telephone survey indicated that viewers, especially those who identify with Spanish-language television characters, gained specific knowledge from viewing the story and that male viewers were significantly more likely to recommend that women have a mammogram. Third, these trends were confirmed and further explored using focus groups of Ladron viewers. Implications for educating viewers using dramatic serials in the United States are discussed.
150 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that the future of message framing is promising with newly emerging approaches to increasing message effectiveness.
Abstract: This commentary is a response to O'Keefe and Jensen's (2007/this issue) meta-analysis of the persuasive effects of gain- and loss-framed messages encouraging disease prevention behaviors. We suggest that the future of message framing is promising with newly emerging approaches to increasing message effectiveness.
133 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that the computer-based programs may be a cost-effective and easily replicable means of providing teens with basic information and skills necessary to prevent pregnancy, STDs, and HIV.
Abstract: A computer- and Internet-based intervention was designed to influence several variables related to the prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in rural adolescents. The intervention was guided by the extended parallel process model and was evaluated using a pretest–post-test control group design with random assignment at the school level. Three hundred and twenty-six tenth-grade males and females enrolled in two rural Appalachian public high schools completed the survey at both points in time. Results indicate the vast majority (88.5%) of students in the experimental school completed at least one activity (M = 3.46 for those doing at least one activity). Further, both the overall program and all but one of the activities were rated positively by participants. Regarding the effects of the intervention, results indicate that students in the experimental school were less likely to initiate sexual activity and had greater general knowledge, greater...
126 citations
TL;DR: Patterns of trust varied according to the scenario stage; honesty was most important upon initially hearing of a public health crisis, whereas fiduciary responsibility and consistency were important upon confirmation of a smallpox outbreak and the ensuing public health response.
Abstract: This study builds on recent work describing African Americans' low trust in public health regarding terrorism preparedness by identifying the specific components of trust (fiduciary responsibility, honesty, competency, consistency, faith) that may influence community response to a bioterrorist attack. We used qualitative analysis of data from 75 African American adults living in Los Angeles County who participated in focus group discussions. Groups were stratified by socioeconomic status (SES; up to vs. above 200% of federal poverty guidelines) and age (18-39 years old vs. 40-65 years old). Discussions elicited reactions to information presented in escalating stages of a bioterrorism scenario. The scenario mimicked the events and public health decisions that might occur under such a scenario. Honesty and consistency of information from public health officials were the components most frequently identified as determining trust or distrust. Patterns of trust varied according to the scenario stage; honesty was most important upon initially hearing of a public health crisis, whereas fiduciary responsibility and consistency were important upon confirmation of a smallpox outbreak and the ensuing public health response. Findings can help public health officials design communications that address distrust and enhance trust during a bioterrorist event.
112 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that media depictions of health topics appear in either challenge or stigma formats, and the implications of stigma and challenge formats are discussed.
Abstract: This article explored the notion that media depictions of health concerns come in one of two formats: challenge and stigma. After explicating the five features that should appear in challenge format and the seven features of stigma formats, we analyzed the content of health messages in magazines, brochures, and posters (n = 75) in a metropolitan area. The results of a two-factor confirmatory factor model showed that the five suggested features for challenge formats did, indeed, appear together (alpha = .76), and the seven features for stigma formats, also, appeared together (alpha = .90), and showed no residual relationship. In other words, the results suggest that media depictions of health topics appear in either challenge or stigma formats (r = − .87). Health issues appearing in magazine advertisements and articles presented messages in challenge formats, while brochures and posters from largely nonprofit and government groups depicted health issues in stigma formats. Some health topics appeared most o...
100 citations
TL;DR: Many aspects of narrative intervention in behavior and public health could be better understood in light of this literature, including the challenges inherent in creating and building on a discourse around behavior change in non-Western contexts.
Abstract: Public health interventions using narratives, or stories, as a means for encouraging behavior change are common, especially in the developing world. Entertainment-education (EE) is perhaps the most widely researched form of such "narrative intervention," but many other kinds of interventions, or parts of interventions, rely on stories to convey information about behavior risk and to model risk avoidance. Although narrative interventions are often grounded in social-cognitive theory and in commonsense assumptions about the power of storytelling, they are generally undertaken without much regard for the philosophical and cognitive bases for narrative about which much has been written. Many aspects of narrative intervention in behavior and public health could be better understood in light this literature. These include the 1) challenges inherent in creating and building on a discourse around behavior change in non-Western contexts; 2) current emphasis in public health on production rather than reception and the fundamental problem of interpretation; 3) differences between messaging versus providing an alternative worldview, and finally; 4) issues surrounding the appropriate approach to the evaluation of a narrative intervention.
94 citations
TL;DR: Lederman and Stewart as mentioned in this paper present a case study of a 20-year effort to change the culture of college drinking by using socially located health communication campaigns, which they call Changing the Culture of College Drinking: A Socially Situated Health Communication Campaign.
Abstract: Linda Lederman and Lea Stewart, in their book, Changing the Culture of College Drinking: A Socially Situated Health Communication Campaign, present a case study of a 20-year effort to change the cu...
TL;DR: It was revealed that Web users sought health information at a higher rate than non-Web users and were more likely to communicate with medical professionals about the health Information found and claimed that their decisions about health treatments were influenced by the health information.
Abstract: Given the advantages of using the Web for health information-seeking and a survey result that women are more likely to use the Web as a channel to locate health information, the authors explored the health information-seeking process and behavior of women who use the Web to seek such information. Although based on previously collected data, this article represents an extension of the earlier analysis with its focus on women who, at least to some extent, seek health care information via The Web (herein, Web user), a topic not thoroughly addressed in the earlier study. A comparison of female Web users and non-Web users who seek health information revealed that Web users sought health information at a higher rate than non-Web users. Web users were more likely to communicate with medical professionals about the health information found and claimed that their decisions about health treatments were influenced by the health information. In most cases, Web users expressed a higher awareness of resources, regardle...
TL;DR: Some PPPs have developed into the largest organizations on their own such as The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria, a Geneva-based UN-connected organization, established in 2002 to dramatically upscale global financing of interventions against the three pandemics.
Abstract: The twenty-first century heralds most health and social services predominately provided and financed directly by government. In recent years given the fact that health commands an ever-growing prop...
TL;DR: The need for clarification of the numeracy concept and refinement of health numeracy assessment instruments will enable the development of focused numeracy interventions and may contribute to moving individuals further along the continuum of health literacy proficiency.
Abstract: Quantitative information occupies a central role within health care decision making. Despite this, numeracy has attracted little research attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) describe the health numeracy skill of a nonclinical, Canadian community-based senior population and (2) determine the relationship between health numeracy skill and prose health literacy, education, and math anxiety in this population. A convenience sample of 140 men and women, 50 + years, completed a questionnaire assessing demographic details, math anxiety, functional health literacy (Shortened Test of Functional Health Literacy for Adults STOFHLA), general context numeracy, and health context numeracy skills. Most participants had adequate functional health literacy (prose and numeracy) as measured by the STOFHLA, poorer general context numeracy skill, higher health context numeracy skill, and moderate math anxiety. Approximately 36% of the variation in general context numeracy scores and 26% of the variation...
TL;DR: This report encourages journalists to develop contextually comprehensive and informative presentations of mental illness and issues surrounding the mental health system for all population groups in order to provide readers with accurate information within the context of general social trends and relevant expert opinion.
Abstract: In this study, we examine newspaper coverage of mental illness in children and adults taken from 6 weeks during a 1-year period. Articles were coded for (1) type of article; (2) types of disorders named or described; (3) themes related to crime, attributions of the disorder, treatments, and critiques of the mental health system; and (4) “elements of responsible journalism,” including inclusion of perspectives from mental health experts, statistics related to mental illness, referrals to additional sources of information, and avoidance of slang terminology. We examine how these variables differ by the age of the group discussed in the article: children/adolescents and adults/older adults. One thousand two hundred fifty-two articles were coded for these four clusters as well as age of group discussed in the article. Inter-rater correlations of two independent judges were satisfactory for 10% of the stories. Age group comparisons revealed that the child articles contained a significantly higher proportion of...
TL;DR: It is suggested that considerable continued health promotion efforts are needed to improve knowledge about cancer in general, and particularly about cervical cancer, to reduce fear and to highlight the effectiveness of prevention and screening.
Abstract: With the advent of a vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV), many are claiming that cervical cancer may become a health worry of the past. While the vaccine certainly represents an important step forward in the fight against HPV and cervical cancer, it does not diminish the importance of health education or screening interventions particularly amongst adolescents. This study explores the existing state of cancer and cervical cancer knowledge of Latina and African American adolescent girls from low-income, urban neighborhoods. We found that the study participants expressed a range of attitudes toward cancer. Knowledge of cancer also was varied and somewhat anecdotal, showing no unified body of knowledge, but instead representing an assemblage of information culled from formal and informal sources. Participants were most familiar with breast and lung cancer and mentioned these types of cancer most frequently in the focus groups. Most participants had never heard of cervical cancer, while a few were familiar with several aspects of the disease. Cancer knowledge seemed to be gleaned mostly from personal stories, perhaps suggesting the pervasiveness of cancer incidence in their community. The predominant attitudes expressed toward cancer included fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. Our findings suggest that considerable continued health promotion efforts are needed to improve knowledge about cancer in general, and particularly about cervical cancer, to reduce fear and to highlight the effectiveness of prevention and screening.
TL;DR: Overall, social undermining appears to have a stronger relationship with mental health than with social support, even when controlling for confounding demographic variables.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of two types of social support (emotional and instrumental) and two types of social undermining (critical appraisal and isolation) with five categories of alcohol, drug, or mental disorders (ADM; any mood, any anxiety, any substance abuse, any disorder, and two or more disorders) in 169 American Indian women presenting for primary care at an Indian Health Service facility. Social support and social undermining are often treated as opposite poles, but in fact they are distinct factors with independent effects. The findings illustrate that social support and undermining variables have a significant relationship with ADM outcomes even when controlling for confounding demographic variables. Any substance abuse was associated with all four social variables, while two or more disorders were associated with instrumental support and isolation. Any anxiety (isolation), any mood (critical appraisal), and any disorder (isolation) were each associated with o...
TL;DR: Overall, older adults had satisfactory comprehension of cancer information as measured by Cloze, however, a significant negative correlation between readability and Cloze comprehension was found, indicating poorer participant comprehension at higher readability levels.
Abstract: Printed cancer information often is written at or beyond high school reading levels, despite lower average literacy abilities of the public. The objectives of this exploratory study were twofold: (1) to evaluate older adults' comprehension of breast (BC), prostate (PC), and colorectal (CC) cancer information; and (2) to determine if comprehension of BC, PC, and CC information varies according to text readability. Comprehension of printed cancer resources was evaluated with 44 community-dwelling older adults using the Cloze procedure and recall questions. Participants' comprehension scores were compared with Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) readability scores (
TL;DR: Results showed that the storyline affected self-reported behavior change and had modest impacts on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, and Interestingly, these effects were stronger for men than for women, possibly due to men's lower knowledge levels at baseline.
Abstract: This study evaluates the effects of an ER (NBC) storyline about teen obesity, hypertension, and 5 A Day on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. The storyline depicted an African American teen who presented at the emergency room with burns from a workplace injury. Upon diagnosis, the teen was discovered to have hypertension and counseled to eat more fruits and vegetables and get more exercise. The evaluation was conducted using three separate datasets, one of which provided data on a sample of primetime viewers before and after the storyline aired. Results showed that the storyline affected self-reported behavior change and had modest impacts on knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Interestingly, these effects were stronger for men than for women, possibly due to men's lower knowledge levels at baseline. Issues including identification with characters and the value of even modest effects on large audiences and the implications of our findings for future evaluations of entertainment education (EE) and other health communication programs are discussed.
TL;DR: The Canadian “Think Again” social marketing HIV/AIDS prevention campaign, adapted from an American effort, is used as a social marketing case study to illustrate its strengths and weaknesses, as a learning tool for other campaigns.
Abstract: The Canadian "Think Again" social marketing HIV/AIDS prevention campaign, adapted from an American effort, encourages gay men to rethink their assumptions about their partners' HIV statuses and the risks of unsafe sex with them. To improve future efforts, existing HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives require critical reflection. While a formal evaluation of this campaign has been carried out elsewhere, here we use the campaign as a social marketing case study to illustrate its strengths and weaknesses, as a learning tool for other campaigns. After describing the campaign and its key results, we assess how it utilized central tenets of the social marketing process, such as formative research and the marketing mix. We then speak to the importance of theoretical influence in campaign design and the need to account for social-contextual factors in safer sex decision making. We conclude with a summary of the lessons learned from the assessment of this campaign.
TL;DR: An approach to overcome potential barriers for low-literate, underserved populations by making design considerations for poor readers and naïve computer users and by using concepts from entertainment education to engage the user and to contextualize the content for the user.
Abstract: Decision aids have been developed by using various delivery methods, including interactive computer programs. Such programs, however, still rely heavily on written information, health and digital literacy, and reading ease. We describe an approach to overcome these potential barriers for low-literate, underserved populations by making design considerations for poor readers and naive computer users and by using concepts from entertainment education to engage the user and to contextualize the content for the user. The system design goals are to make the program both didactic and entertaining and the navigation and graphical user interface as simple as possible. One entertainment education strategy, the soap opera, is linked seamlessly to interactive learning modules to enhance the content of the soap opera episodes. The edutainment decision aid model (EDAM) guides developers through the design process. Although designing patient decision aids that are educational, entertaining, and targeted toward poor readers and those with limited computer skills is a complex task, it is a promising strategy for aiding this population. Entertainment education may be a highly effective approach to promoting informed decision making for patients with low health literacy.
TL;DR: Self-reliant patients tended to be female, have lower incomes, and report less frequent visits to the health care provider than did health-care-provider-reliance patients.
Abstract: Three hundred fifty participants, recruited from Internet health message boards, completed online surveys about their experiences talking with health care providers about Internet health information. Two distinct dimensions of reliance emerged from the data, one regarding the patient's reliance on the health care provider for decision making and the other regarding the patient's reliance on the health care provider to stay healthy. Self-reliant patients tended to be female, have lower incomes, and report less frequent visits to the health care provider than did health-care-provider-reliant patients. Age, comfort level, and frequency of talking about Internet health information were not related to reliance level.
TL;DR: These findings revealed that coping appraisal variables were more significantly associated with protection motivation, relative to threat appraisal variables, and perceived self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of parental intention to enforce good visual health behaviors, while perceived severity was relatively weak.
Abstract: This research examined the predictive utility of the protection motivation theory (PMT) model for myopia prevention amongst children. An integrative model for myopia prevention behavior of parents was first developed in the context of theory and survey instruments then refined using information gathered from two focus groups. Empirical data then was collected from parents of primary school children in Singapore, a country with one of the highest rates of myopia in the world, and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Our findings revealed that coping appraisal variables were more significantly associated with protection motivation, relative to threat appraisal variables. In particular, perceived self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of parental intention to enforce good visual health behaviors, while perceived severity was relatively weak. Health marketing communications and public policy implications are discussed.
TL;DR: This study examines the pharmaceutical websites of 44 leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertised drugs to determine the extent to which risk information was completely communicated.
Abstract: This study examines the pharmaceutical websites of 44 leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertised drugs to determine the extent to which risk information was completely communicated. Three operational definitions of “completeness” were used: communication of the single highest incidence side effect, communication of top three highest incidence side effects, and communication of side effects with incidence of ≥ 10% (all measured in terms of absolute percentage). Results indicated that regardless of the measures used, pharmaceutical websites are unlikely to completely communicate risk information. About two thirds of all sites communicated the single highest incidence side effect or all top three side effects. For drugs with side effects at ≥ 10% incidence, only about half of their websites fully reported all effects at this level of incidence. Implications for advertisers and regulatory agencies are presented.
TL;DR: Results showed that those with favorable views of DTCA were more likely to inquire and request an advertised drug they saw, and the effect was greater in magnitude for consumers with high perceived knowledge in health and medicine than for those with low perceived knowledge.
Abstract: This study examined how consumers' general attitude toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) influenced their drug inquiry intent, and whether the relationship between attitude toward DTCA and drug inquiry intent was moderated by their perceived knowledge of health and medicine. Results showed that those with favorable views of DTCA were more likely to inquire and request an advertised drug they saw. The effect was greater in magnitude for consumers with high perceived knowledge in health and medicine, however, than for those with low perceived knowledge.
TL;DR: Future efforts to improve utilisation of the UVI, particularly among those looking at new display formats, may be ineffective, unless they also incorporate strategies to facilitate understanding of the measure.
Abstract: The ultraviolet index (UVI) has been regularly reported in Australia for a decade but utilisation remains extremely low (∼5%). Blunden, Lower, and Slevin, in a 2004 Journal of Health communication article, suggest that Australians' understanding of the UVI is “good,” and education to increase awareness of the index is therefore no longer warranted. To test this position, focus groups were conducted followed by an intercept survey of 404 residents of Perth, Western Australia, aged 16–44 years, to explore understanding and familiarity with the UVI. Results suggested that far from being “good,” the familiarity and understanding of the UVI of at least half of Australians is poor. This was exemplified by the following: mean estimations of average UVI values in summer and winter being highly exaggerated (19.8 and 11.8, respectively); 61.2% not appreciating that the UVI is independent of temperature; at least 55.0% not appreciating that UV conditions peak at solar noon; and 23.3% of 22–44 year olds confusing the...
TL;DR: The results indicate that qualifying language has a profound effect on drug perceptions, especially when used in combination, and appears to exert its influence by causing individuals to reduce their estimate of the likelihood of experiencing individual side effects.
Abstract: This study examined how the use of qualifying language in direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising affects consumers' perceptions of drug appeal, anticipated pleasantness of drug usage, and the expected incidence of side-effect occurrence. A sample of 669 individuals participated in a 2 x 8 complete factorial design. The design manipulated the number of side effects associated with drug use and the type of qualifying language used to describe the side effects. The eight experimental qualifying language cells represented one control condition (no qualifying language), three cells where each of three types of qualifying language were presented individually, and four cells where qualifying language was combined. The results indicate that qualifying language has a profound effect on drug perceptions, especially when used in combination. Drug appeal and the anticipated drug-using experience almost always were more positive in the presence of qualifying language. Qualifying language appears to exert its influence by causing individuals to reduce their estimate of the likelihood of experiencing individual side effects. Policy implications of the research, particularly for evaluation of "fair balance" and the reporting of side effects, are presented.
TL;DR: The results of the analysis showed an increase in the ability to predict health behaviors such as aspirin use, vitamin use, diet, and exercise, and suggest that there is predictive value for including media variables as part of the segmentation process.
Abstract: The purpose of this research is to contrast a traditional audience segmentation model that uses demographics and health evaluations against a model that uses these same variables plus media usage variables. The goal was to determine whether media usage variables - typically not used in health segmentation studies - add predictive power in determining health behaviors and attitudes. The results of the analysis showed an increase in the ability to predict health behaviors such as aspirin use, vitamin use, diet, and exercise, and suggest that there is predictive value for including media variables as part of the segmentation process. Implications for public health education and campaign planning are discussed.
TL;DR: Hypothesized effects of the intervention on the primary dependent measures—attitudes (against smoking) and behavioral intentions not to smoke—were strongly supported for high sensation seekers and further support is offered from the secondary indicators, self-efficacy, perceived message effectiveness, and perceived risk from smoking.
Abstract: In recent years, research has shown that mass media can be used effectively either alone or in conjunction with interpersonal and institutional channels, such as schools. Much has yet been be learned about the application of newer, more effective strategies for media campaigns for adolescent smoking prevention interventions. This article describes a study applying an activation model of information exposure and a sensation-seeking targeting approach to the design of a smoking prevention campaign for adolescents. The participants were 1,272 middle school students aged 12–14 from across the Colorado Front Range who were stratified by their level of sensation seeking and then exposed to both high and low sensation value anti tobacco public service announcements (PSAs) at three time points. Hypothesized effects of the intervention on the primary dependent measures—attitudes (against smoking) and behavioral intentions not to smoke—were strongly supported for high sensation seekers. Further support is offered f...
TL;DR: The study findings support that a media campaign utilizing PSAs is effective in improving knowledge of breast health guidelines, teaching Chinese women how to perform breast self-exam, and increasing breast health practices.
Abstract: To increase the awareness and practice of breast health guidelines, a media-based education campaign on breast health was launched among immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco. The media campaign included airing two public service announcements (PSAs) on Chinese television and radio stations and publishing the same message in Chinese newspapers during 2000. Seven-hundred-ten face-to-face interviews were conducted with women who were recruited from various settings in the city of San Francisco to evaluate the impact of the campaign. Survey participants were asked to describe the content of the PSAs. Having viewed the PSA was significantly associated with the ability to identify all four guidelines (OR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.35–2.85), knowing how to perform breast self-exam (BSE; OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.53–3.29), having performed BSE within the past month (OR = 3.12; 95% CI: 2.05–4.74), and having a clinical breast exam (CBE; OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.82–4.90) and mammogram (MAM; OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.16–3.36) in t...