Health or well-being? Framing effects in nutrition communication aimed at the elderly

Journal title RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA
Author/s Mauro Bertolotti, Patrizia Catellani
Publishing Year 2016 Issue 2016/1 Language Italian
Pages 14 P. 79-92 File size 68 KB
DOI 10.3280/RIP2016-001006
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Taking care of one’s nutrition is crucial to maintain good health, and prevent the most common diseases associated with ageing, but also to remain active and improve one’s well-being and quality of life. Convincing people to follow a balanced diet, however, is a rather difficult task. Message framing can be used to improve the effectiveness of communication on this topic, thus promoting healthier food choices. In fact, a carefully chosen frame can highlight the features of a message that are more likely to motivate individuals to change their established nutritional habits. In a series of studies, we investigated the factors influencing the persuasiveness of communication about nutrition aimed at the elderly. Results indicate that both the commonly used health-framed messages and the less frequently employed well-being framed messages can be persuasive. In the latter case, a prefactual formulation (e.g., "If you eat too much meat, your quality of life will worsen") can increase recipients’ interest and involvement, leading to a stronger intention to follow the recommendations.

Keywords: Ageing, nutrition, prefactual communication, health, well-being

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Mauro Bertolotti, Patrizia Catellani, Salute o benessere? Effetti di framing nella comunicazione alimentare rivolta agli anziani in "RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA " 1/2016, pp 79-92, DOI: 10.3280/RIP2016-001006