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Health-promoting messages can be framed in terms of the beneficial consequences of healthy behaviour (gain-framed messages) or the detrimental consequences of unhealthy behaviour (loss-framed messages). An influential notion holds that the perceived risk associated with the recommended behaviour determines the relative persuasiveness of gain- and loss-framed messages. This ‘risk-framing hypothesis’, as we call it, was derived from prospect theory, has been central to health message framing research for the last two decades, and does not cease to appeal to researchers. The present paper examines the validity of the risk-framing hypothesis. We performed six empirical studies on the interaction between perceived risk and message framing. These studies were conducted in two different countries and employed framed messages targeting skin cancer prevention and detection, physical activity, breast self-examination and vaccination behaviour. Behavioural intention served as the outcome measure. None of these studies found evidence in support of the risk-framing hypothesis. We conclude that the empirical evidence in favour of the hypothesis is weak and discuss the ramifications of this for future message framing research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Brief planning interventions, usually delivered within paper and pencil questionnaires, have been found to be effective in changing health behaviours. Using a double-blind randomised controlled trial, this study examined the efficacy of two types of planning interventions (action plans and coping plans) in increasing physical activity levels when they are delivered via the internet. Following the completion of self-reported physical activity (primary outcome) and theory of planned behaviour (TPB) measures at baseline, students (N = 1273) were randomised into one of four conditions on the basis of a 2 (received instructions to form action plans or not) × 2 (received instructions to form coping plans or not) factorial design. Physical activity (primary outcome) and TPB measures were completed again at two-month follow-up. An objective measure (attendance at the university's sports facilities) was employed 6 weeks after a follow-up for a duration of 13 weeks (secondary outcome). The interventions did not change self-reported physical activity, attendance at campus sports facilities or TPB measures. This might be due to low adherence to the intervention protocol (ranging from 58.8 to 76.7%). The results of this study suggest that the planning interventions under investigation are ineffective in changing behaviour when delivered online to a sample of participants unaware of the allocation to different conditions. Possible moderators of the effectiveness of planning interventions in changing health behaviours are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper elicited context specific underlying beliefs for physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption and smoke-free behaviour from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and then determined whether the TPB explained significant variation in intentions and behaviour over a 1 month period in a sample of grade 7-9 (age 12-16 years) adolescents. Eighteen individual interviews and one focus group were used to elicit student beliefs. Analyses of this data produced behavioural, normative and control beliefs which were put into a TPB questionnaire completed by 183 students at time 1 and time 2. The Path analyses from the main study showed that the attitude/intention relationship was moderately large for fruit and vegetable consumption and small to moderate for being smoke free. Perceived behavioural control had a large effect on being smoke free and a moderately large effect for fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. Intention had a large direct effect on all three behaviours. Common (e.g. feel better, more energy) and behaviour-specific (e.g., prevent yellow fingers, control my weight) beliefs emerged across the three health behaviours. These novel findings, to the adolescent population, support the importance of specific attention being given to each of the behaviours in future multi-behavioural interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on health- and psychology-related papers including "Are Worksite Interventions Effective in Increasing Physical Activity? A Meta-Analytic Review" by C. Abraham and E. Graham-Rowe, "Integrating Social Structure and Social cognition Measures in Explaining Adolescent Condom Use" by C. Abraham, P. Sheeran and M. Henderson, and "Online Erotic Chatting With Potential Sex Partners: Does Virtual Fantasizing Promote Real-Life Risk?" by P. Adam and J. de Wit.