Telling Stories, Saving Lives: Creating Narrative Health Messages (original) (raw)
Related papers
American journal of public health, 2015
We compared the relative efficacy of a fictional narrative film to a more traditional nonnarrative film in conveying the same health information. We used a random digit dial procedure to survey the cervical cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of non-Hispanic White, Mexican American, and African American women, aged 25 to 45 years, living in Los Angeles, California, from 2011 to 2012. Participants (n = 704) were randomly assigned to view either a narrative or nonnarrative film containing the same information about how cervical cancer could be prevented or detected, and they were re-contacted 2 weeks and 6 months later. At 2 weeks, both films produced a significant increase in cervical cancer-related knowledge and attitudes, but these effects were significantly higher for the narrative film. At 6 months, viewers of both films retained greater than baseline knowledge and more positive attitudes toward Papanicolaou (Pap) tests, but women who saw the narrative were signific...
Health Psychology, 2017
Objectives: Narratives hold promise as an effective public health message strategy for health behavior change, yet research on what types of narratives are most persuasive is still in the formative stage. Narrative persuasion research has identified 2 promising features of such messages that could influence behavior: whether characters live or die, and whether characters encounter key barriers. This study investigated the effects of these 2 narrative message features on young women's HPV vaccination intentions and examined mediating psychological processes of narrative persuasion in the context of cervical cancer messages. Method: We manipulated these 2 features in a narrative HPV vaccine intervention targeted to a national sample of U.S. women 18-26 who had not initiated the vaccine (N ϭ 247). Participants were randomized in a 2 ϫ 2 between-subjects experiment. Results: Compared to death narratives, survival narratives increased narrative believability and self-efficacy while lowering perceived barriers to vaccination. As features interacted, survival narratives featuring social barriers led to greater narrative transportation (absorption into the story) than other combinations. Moderated mediation analysis tested 10 theoretically derived mediators; transportation and risk severity mediated the narrative-intention relationship. Conclusions: Findings provide evidence for key psychological postulates of narrative persuasion theory. Results inform practical application for the construction of effective narrative message content in cervical cancer prevention campaigns for young women.
This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces greater impact on health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention than presenting the identical information in a more traditional, nonfiction, nonnarrative format. European American, Mexican American, and African American women (N = 758) were surveyed before and after viewing either a narrative or nonnarrative cervical cancer-related film. The narrative was more effective in increasing cervical cancer-related knowledge and attitudes. Moreover, in response to the narrative featuring Latinas, Mexican Americans were most transported, identified most with the characters, and experienced the strongest emotions. Regressions revealed that transportation, identification with specific characters, and emotion contributed to shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Thus, narrative formats may provide a valuable tool in reducing health disparities.
The Ability of Narrative Communication to Address Health-related Social Norms
International Review of Social Research, 2013
Social norms are an important predictor of health behavior and have been targeted by a variety of health communication campaigns. However, these campaigns often encounter challenges related to the socially specific context in which norms exist: specifically, the extent to which the target population identifies with the reference group presented in the ad and the extent to which the target population believes the campaign's message. We argue that because of its capacity to effect identification among viewers, narrative communication is particularly appropriate for impacting social norms and, consequently, behavioral intention. This manuscript presents the results of a randomized trial testing the effectiveness of two films - one narrative, one non-narrative - in changing perceived social norms and behavioral intention regarding Pap testing to detect cervical cancer. Results of the study indicate that the narrative film was in fact more effective at producing positive changes in p...
Communication Methods and Measures, 2011
Narrative media health messages have proven effective in preventing adolescents' substance use but as yet few measures exist to assess perceptions of them. Without such a measure it is difficult to evaluate the role these messages play in health promotion or to differentiate them from other message forms. In response to this need, a study was conducted to evaluate the Perception of Narrative Performance Scale that assesses perceptions of narrative health messages. A sample of 1185 fifth graders in public schools at Phoenix, Arizona completed a questionnaire rating of two videos presenting narrative substance use prevention messages. Confirmatory factor analyses were computed to identify the factor structure of the scale. Consistent with prior studies, results suggest a 3 factor structure for the Perception of Narrative Performance Scale: interest, realism, and identification (with characters). In addition, a path analysis was performed to test the predictive power of the scale. The analysis shows that the scale proves useful in predicting intent to use substances. Finally, practical implications and limitations are discussed.
Objective: To synthesize experimental research on the impact of narrative point of view (POV) on message processing and persuasion outcomes in health promotion. Moderators examined included characteristics of study design, participants, and experimental stimuli. Design and Main Outcome Measures: Random effects model meta-analysis of 16 health promotion experiments, using the metafor package in R. Studies included compared the effects of firstand third-person POV on risk perceptions, attitudes, behavioral intention, identification and transportation. Results: There was no evidence of publication bias. Narratives told in the first-person POV led to higher levels of perceived susceptibility (d = 0.10, 95% CI [0.01, 0.20]) and identification feelings (d = 0.10, 95% CI [0.10, 0.21]) than third-person narratives. The effects of first-person POV narratives were significantly stronger for stories that were written in the past-tense and that depicted the protagonist as being similar to message recipients. Conclusion: Findings support a theoretical model of POV impact in which a first-person perspective increases identification with the character, thereby leading to higher levels of perceived susceptibility to the health threat. The practical implication is that the effectiveness of narrative persuasion is enhanced by using the first-person point of view, emphasizing target audience-protagonist similarities, and telling stories in the past tense. The strategic use of narratives in health promotion and disease prevention messaging has become increasingly common in health communication research and practice. 'Narrative' refers to any cohesive and coherent story with an identifiable structure that provides information about scenes, characters, and conflicts (Bilandzic & Busselle, 2013; Hinyard & Kreuter, 2007). In public health communications, narratives usually take the form of stories, testimonials, and anecdotes. A health narrative most often depicts an individual experiencing a health threat and then delivers a lesson derived from the story about adopting healthier behaviors and lifestyles. Research has shown
Communication campaigns often include components that have been designed for a specific population, a strategy referred to as targeting. Targeted narratives are story-based components of a campaign that feature a character or situation relevant to the intended audience. Though commonplace, few studies have explicated the underlying mechanisms by which targeted narratives exert influence. In a message evaluation study, 316 women aged 40–75 (Mage = 51.19, SD = 8.11) were exposed to one of two targeted narratives and asked to complete measures of model admiration, narrative memorability, and intentions to receive a mammography. Targeting was based upon affiliation with the Mormon church. The results revealed that the relationship between the targeted narratives and screening intentions was especially strong for women from the target population who admired the depicted models and found the stories memorable.
Background: One of the intermediate impacts that public health campaigns can have is to increase interpersonal discussion about the health topic in question. Previous research has found that such discussion can amplify the effects of a campaign by increasing campaign diffusion. Purpose: To compare the impact of a narrative versus a non-narrative film that both include the same 18 facts about cervical cancer prevention behaviors in stimulating interpersonal discussion. Methods: This study used a pre-test/post-test design in which over 1,000 women were randomly assigned to view either a narrative or non-narrative film presenting the same 18 cervical cancer-related facts. In the pre-test and post-test, women were asked whether they discussed Pap tests and/or the HPV vaccine with their significant other, mother, daughter, other female relative, or a female friend. Results: Those women who viewed the narrative version of the film reported that they were more likely to discuss Pap tests w...
The Journal of development communication, 2021
There is evidence that use of narrative messages is effective in the context of health behavior change. There is however no explanation as to what aspect of narrative leads to high level of persuasion. We evaluated the moderating effects of character identification on the three elements of narrative message (narrative message frame, narrative ra cancer screening among women in the agricultural sector in Kiambu county, Kenya. A randomised experimental design was used. Narrative Message frame (gain frame vs. loss frame), narrative perspective (first vs third person), and narrative rationality, were manipulated. The messages were presented via a brief narrative video on cervical cancer and cervical screening. A uniform pretest questionnaire on cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening (T1) was completed by respondents before watching a narrative video. After watching a narrative video on cervical cancer screening, participants responded to the post test questionnaire (T2). Data fro...