Acceptability and usability of health communications on changing health behaviors and self-efficacy

Abstract

To improve healthy behaviors and health communication practices, information media used for communicating healthy behaviors should be acceptable and usable. An acceptability and usability scale for assessing information media was developed and the effects of these variables on users' reading behavior, self-efficacy, and intentions to change health behaviors were investigated. Leaflets on changing health behaviors and the newly developed scale were distributed to residents of a community (n=846). Results of exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors: Acceptability and Usability, which supported the theoretical assumption of previous studies. Results of structural equation modeling indicated (1) acceptability affected reading behavior more than usability, (2) usability affected self-efficacy related to health behavior more than acceptability, and (3) only usability affected the intention to change health behavior. These findings suggest the necessity to consider both acceptability and usability when developing communication leaflets intended for changing health behaviors.