Promoting fruit and vegetable intake through messages tailored to individual differences in regulatory focus.
BACKGROUND
Researchers must identify strategies to optimize the persuasiveness of messages used in public education campaigns encouraging fruit and vegetable (FV) intake.


OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether tailoring messages to individuals' regulatory focus (RF), the tendency to be motivated by promotion versus prevention goals, increased the persuasiveness of messages encouraging greater FV intake.


METHODS
Participants (n = 518) completed an assessment of their RF and were randomly assigned to receive either prevention- or promotion-oriented messages. Messages were mailed 1 week, 2 months, and 3 months after the baseline interview. Follow-up assessments were conducted 1 and 4 months after the baseline assessment.


RESULTS
Regression analyses revealed that at Month 4, the messages were somewhat more efficacious when congruent with participants' RF.


CONCLUSIONS
RF may be a promising target for developing tailored messages promoting increased FV intake, and particularly for encouraging individuals to meet FV guidelines.
Latimer
Amy E
AE
Department of Psychology, Yale University, P.O. Box 208205, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, USA. amy.latimer@queensu.ca
Williams-Piehota
Pamela
P
Katulak
Nicole A
NA
Cox
Ashley
A
Mowad
Linda
L
Higgins
E Tory
ET
Salovey
Peter
P
D000368:Aged; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.); D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables