Promoting the avoidance of high-calorie snacks. The role of temporal message framing and eating self-efficacy.
BACKGROUND
Message framing outcomes of healthy behaviours as occurring 'every day' vs. 'every year' can influence the temporal proximity and perceived likelihood of these outcomes. However, it is not known how pre-existing beliefs such as confidence in one's ability to perform health-related behaviour interact with such messages.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this research was to investigate whether eating self-efficacy moderates the effect of temporal framing (day-frame vs. year-frame) on snacking behaviour.


METHODS
Participants (N = 95) completed the short form of the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL-SF) and read either a day-framed or year-framed message about the health benefits associated with avoiding snacking. Consumption of snacks was reported 7 days later.


RESULTS
For those with low levels of eating self-efficacy (WEL-SF score < 4.3 on a 7-point response scale), the year-framed message was associated with lower levels of snacking than the day-framed message.


CONCLUSIONS
The current research identifies a key role for eating self-efficacy in shaping recipients' responses to temporally framed messages about the health benefits associated with the avoidance of snacking.
University of Chichester, College Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6PE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: s.churchill@chi.ac.uk.
Susan
S
Churchill
University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9RH, United Kingdom.
Anna
A
Good
Kingston University, Penrhyn Rd, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, United Kingdom.
Louisa
L
Pavey
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy; D062410:Snacks; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Eating self-efficacy; Message framing; Persuasive communication; Snacking; Temporal framing