title: [Factors associated with perceived effectiveness of health promotion messages among Japanese adults Focus on socioeconomic status].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Responses and receptiveness to messages advocating health promotion are expected to vary according to differences in personal characteristics. To increase communication effectiveness, this study examined the differences in perceptions of the effectiveness of messages among Japanese adults by socioeconomic status and other characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured questionnaire survey was administered to residents aged 30-59 randomly selected in two cities (Yamaguchi and Iwakuni) of Yamaguchi prefecture. The questionnaire consisted of items on sociodemographic characteristics including sex, age, marital status, education, and household income; the perceived effectiveness of health messages; and other factors. The subjects were shown different messages on several themes (smoking cessation, cancer screening, weight gain) and asked to select those that they considered most effective. The associations between perception and subjects' sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 445 subjects responded (response rate, 37.1%). The negative messages (health effects of risk behaviors) were generally perceived as the most effective. Sex, age, marital status, education, and income were significantly associated with the perceived effectiveness of health messages: higher income was significantly associated with secondhand smoke in the case of smoking cessation, lower income was associated with addiction in the case of drinking restraints, lower education and middle income were associated with affection, and lower income was associated with own expense in the case of cancer screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite some differences among the health themes, personal characteristics including age, sex, and marital and socioeconomic status were associated with the perceived effectiveness of health messages, and our results suggest that health communication may be made more effective by consideration of the sociodemographic characteristics of target populations and subjects.
authors: Department of Community Health and Medicine, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine.
authors: Yoshiharu
authors: Y
authors: Fukuda
authors: Tatsumi
authors: T
authors: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires