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Health messages can be either informative or descriptive, and can emphasize either potential losses or gains. This study, guided by message framing theory and exemplification theory, specifically investigated the combined effects of messages with loss-gain frames mixed with statistics or exemplar appeals. The findings revealed a series of main effects and interactions for loss-gain frames and statistics-exemplar appeals on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) prevention intention, intention to know more, perceived severity, perceived fear, perceived external efficacy, and perceived internal efficacy. The gain-statistics appeal showed an advantage in promoting perceived efficacy toward FASD, while the loss-exemplar appeal revealed an advantage in increasing prevention intention, perceived severity, and perceived fear toward FASD. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Children in the United States have benefited considerably from advancements in medical and nursing science over the course of the past 200 years. The twentieth century saw dramatic declines in the incidence of childhood diseases; the prevalence of measles, haemophilus influenzae type B, diphtheria, rubella and tetanus are at all time lows (CDC, 2006). Indeed, many pediatric nurses have never seen any of these diseases, something that would certainly have startled their predecessors just a few generations ago. Before the mid- twentieth century, caring for children with communicable diseases represented the cornerstone of pediatric nursing practice. Now that the incidence has decreased among American children, it is easy to forget about these diseases that once decimated whole communities. This article tries to peel back the mists of history by studying children's health in one rural New England town during the days of the early republic in the 1830s.