title: Testing the effects of a message framing intervention on intentions towards hearing loss prevention in adolescents.
abstract: Adolescent hearing loss is a public health problem that has eluded effective intervention. A persuasive message strategy was tested for its effectiveness on adolescents' intention to listen to music at a reduced volume. The messages manipulated both type of message frame [positive consequences of listening to music at a reduced volume (gain-framed) versus negative consequences of not listening to music at a reduced volume (loss-framed)] and type of temporal context (short-term versus long-term consequences). Participants were recruited from four vocational and secondary education schools in the Netherlands and message exposure took place online during class hours. Two weeks prior to message exposure, adolescents provided data on intention and risk perception towards hearing loss and use of (digital) music players. After message exposure, 194 adolescents (mean age = 14.71 years, SD = 1.00, 37.8% males) provided immediate follow-up data on intention. Results revealed that intention to listen to music at a reduced volume increased in those exposed to a loss-framed message with short-term consequences. No changes were found in the other conditions. Messages that emphasize negative short-term consequences of not listening to music at a moderate volume have the ability to influence adolescents' intention towards hearing loss prevention.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam and g.j.debruijn@uva.nl.
authors.forename: Gert-Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: de Bruijn
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam and.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spaans
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam and.
authors.forename: Bastiaan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Science, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9104, 6500HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van't Riet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009426:Netherlands; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors