Goal framing of health promotion messages in contact lens wear.

Abstract

Purpose: Appropriate framing of health information influences the adoption of health behaviors. This study explored whether (1) gain- or loss-framed health promotion messages, emphasizing positive or negative consequences, respectively, were more persuasive in adult contact lens wearers and (2) approach-oriented participants (participants that tend to seek rewards or attain goals) were motivated by gain-framed messages while avoidance-oriented participants (those driven to avoid consequences such as disease or injury) were motivated by loss-framed messages, as postulated by the congruency hypothesis.

Methods: Gain- and loss-framed health promotion messages were created for three healthy contact lens-wearing habits (avoiding sleeping in contact lenses unless instructed to by an eye care provider, replacing lenses according to the manufacturer's recommended replacement schedule, and avoiding water exposure with contact lenses). Following local pilot testing and revision of health messages, data from 300 soft contact lens wearers aged 18-33 years (2/3 female) were collected via an electronic survey and online survey platform. Message persuasiveness was assessed by the participants with a visual analog scale. Avoidance and approach motivations were evaluated using the Behavioural Inhibition System/Behavioural Activation System scale. A linear mixed-effect model explored factors that influenced the persuasive effect of messages. Independent variables included frame type, media (infographic versus text), and participant characteristics. Pairwise Pearson correlations were used to explore relationships between avoidance/approach mechanisms and persuasiveness.

Results: Participants rated loss-framed messages as more persuasive than gain-framed messages across the three habits: overnight wear (P < 0.001), lens replacement (P < 0.001), and water exposure (P < 0.001). The motivational orientation of the participants was not significantly correlated with persuasiveness but varied significantly with participant sex and history of a contact lens-related red eye.

Conclusions: Loss-framing was more persuasive than gain-framing in this cohort. The results did not support the congruency hypothesis. Further study is needed to explore the clinical impact of these findings.