The use of message framing to promote sexual risk reduction in young adolescents: a pilot exploratory study.
Few studies have explored the application of message framing to promote health behaviors in adolescents. In this exploratory study, we examined young adolescents' selection of gain- versus loss-framed images and messages when designing an HIV-prevention intervention to promote delayed sexual initiation. Twenty-six adolescents (aged 10-14 years) participated in six focus groups and created and discussed posters to persuade their peers to delay the initiation of sexual activity. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. A five-person multidisciplinary team analyzed the posters and focus group transcripts using thematic analysis. The majority of the posters (18/26, 69%) contained both gain- and loss-framed content. Of the 93/170 (56%) images and messages with framing, similar proportions were gain- (48/93, 52%) and loss-framed (45/93, 48%). Most gain-framed content (23/48, 48%) focused on academic achievement, whereas loss-framed content focused on pregnancy (20/45, 44%) and HIV/AIDS (14/45, 31%). These preliminary data suggest that young adolescents may prefer a combination of gain- and loss-framing in health materials to promote reduction in sexual risk behaviors.
Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H2W 1S4, Canada Yale's play2PREVENT Lab.
Deepa R
DR
Camenga
Kimberly D
KD
Hieftje
Lynn E
LE
Fiellin
E Jennifer
EJ
Edelman
Marjorie S
MS
Rosenthal
Lindsay R
LR
Duncan
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000517:prevention & control*