Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 5-2004
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Abstract
Objective
To compare the effectiveness of messages emphasizing the importance of either personal or social responsibility for dietary behavior change in increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
Design/Setting
Randomly assigned individually or socially oriented messages were delivered at baseline, 1 week, and 2 and 3 months later. Telephone surveys were conducted at baseline and 1 and 4 months later.
Participants
528 callers to a cancer information hotline who were not meeting the “5 A Day” dietary recommendation.
Interventions
A brief telephone-delivered message and 3 mailings of pamphlets and promotional items encouraging fruit and vegetable intake that emphasized either personal or social responsibility.
Main Outcome Measures
Fruit and vegetable intake 1 and 4 months postbaseline.
Analysis
Chi-square, t tests, and analyses of variance and covariance.
Results
Both types of messages increased intake substantially (P = .01). To some extent, the social responsibility message continued to motivate increased intake over time compared with the personal responsibility message.
Conclusions and Implications
These minimal interventions had a substantial impact on fruit and vegetable intake. Health messages might be more effective over the longer term if they are designed to emphasize the importance of social responsibility, although further study is needed to confirm the robustness of these findings.
DOI
10.1016/S1499-4046(06)60146-2
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Williams-Piehota, Pamela; Cox, Ashley R.; Navarro Silvera, Stephanie A.; Mowad, Linda Z.; Garcia, Sharon; Katulak, Nicole A.; and Salovey, Peter, "Casting Health Messages in Terms of Responsibility for Dietary Change: Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption" (2004). Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works. 67.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/public-health-facpubs/67
Published Citation
Williams-Piehota, Pamela, Ashley Cox, Stephanie Navarro Silvera, Linda Mowad, Sharon Garcia, Nicole Katulak, and Peter Salovey. "Casting health messages in terms of responsibility for dietary change: Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption." Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 36, no. 3 (2004): 114-120.
Included in
Clinical Epidemiology Commons, Epidemiology Commons, Food and Drug Law Commons, Food Studies Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Health and Medical Physics Commons, Health Services Research Commons, International Public Health Commons, Other Food Science Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Psychology Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons