title: Framing preventive care messaging and cervical cancer screening in a health-insured population in South Africa: Implications for population-based communication?
abstract: The impact of health message framing on cervical cancer screening uptake is poorly understood. In a prospective randomized control study with 748 females, aged 21-65 years with no Pap smear in the previous 3 years, they randomly received a loss-framed, gain-framed, or neutral health message (control) regarding cervical cancer screening by email. Screening rate in the control group was 9.58 percent (CI: 9.29%-9.87%), 5.71 percent (CI: 5.48%-6.98%) in the gain-framed group, and 8.53 percent (CI: 8.24%-8.81%) in the loss-framed group. Statistically there was no difference between the three screening rates. Framing of health messages may not be a significant consideration when communicating through emails.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
authors.forename: Leegale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adonis
authors.affiliation: 2 Discovery Vitality, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jithen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paramanund
authors.affiliation: 1 University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
authors.forename: Debashis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.affiliation: 3 University of Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luiz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000379:methods*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013019:South Africa; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cervical cancer; framing health messages; screening