Abstract
A single risk factor can increase the risk of one of the risk ladders and then completed a questionnaire developingmultiplediseases,butmostriskcommunication assessing message comprehension, message acceptance, research has been conducted in the context of a single physical activity-related risk and efficacy beliefs, and disease. We explored which combination of three recom- physical activity intentions. Higher message acceptance mended risk communication strategies is most effective in was found among (1) people who received risk reduction simultaneously conveying risk estimates of four diseases information versus those who did not (p = .01), and (2) associated with physical inactivity: colon cancer, stroke, people who did not receive social comparison information diabetes, and heart disease. Participants (N = 1161, 50% versusthosetoldthattheywereathigherthanaveragerisk no college experience, 50% racial/ethnic minority) were (p = .03). Further, absolute cognitive perceived risk of shown hypothetical risk estimates for each of the four developing‘‘anyofthediseasesshowninthepicture’’was diseases. All four diseases were placed at varying heights higher among people who did not receive social compar- on 1 of 12 vertical bar charts (i.e., ‘‘risk ladders’’) to isoninformation(p = .03).Noothermaineffectsandonly indicate their respective probabilities. The risk ladders very few interactions with demographic variables were varied in a 2 (risk reduction information: present/ab- found. Combining recommended risk communication sent) 9 2 (numerical format: words/words and num- strategies did not improve or impair key cognitive or bers) 9 3 (social comparison information: none/somewhat affectiveprecursorsofhealthbehaviorchange.Itmightnot higher than average/much higher than average) full facto- be necessary to provide people with extensive information rial design. Participants were randomly assigned to view when communicating risk estimates of multiple diseases. | | | | | Keywords | Risk communication | (cid:2) Decision | making (cid:2) | | ——————————- | — | ———————- | — | ——– | ———————————– | —————- | ————– | | Electronicsupplementarymaterial | | Theonlineversionofthis | | | | | | | | | | | Physical | activity (cid:2) Health disparities | | | article(doi:10.1007/s10865-017-9894-3)containssupplementary material,whichisavailabletoauthorizedusers. & ErikaA.Waters | waterse@wustl.edu | | | | Introduction | | | | | —————– | — | — | — | ———— | — | — | — | EvaJanssen Eva.janssen@maastrichtuniversity.nl Physical inactivity is one of the 10 leading risk factors for | | | | | death | worldwide and is responsible | for diseases | causing |