Threat vs. Benefit appeals: Effectiveness in adult nutrition education

Abstract

Using short nutrition brochures, we presented adult respondents with either a threat appeal, which emphasized the risks of not following the brochure's recommendations, or a benefit appeal, which emphasized what was to be gained if respondents followed recommendations. We assigned a random sample of 1500 adults either to a control group or to one of two experimental groups: a threat- or benefit-appeal group. The study was carried out through the mail. Only respondents in the experimental groups received brochures, but all respondents completed pre- and post-test questionnaires. These questionnaires assessed a variety of variables including respondents' knowledge about nutrient-dense foods, their attitude toward nutrient-dense foods and toward learning more about nutrition, and their descriptive characteristics. We also examined food behavior via a food coupon system. The experimental groups' postscores on the knowledge test and the “Nutrient-Dense Foods” attitude scale were significantly higher than those of the control group, but the scores of the two experimental groups did not differ significantly from each other. Postscores on the ⌊earn More About Nutrition” attitude scale and food behavior did not differ significantly among groups. Both the threat and benefit appeals appeared to be equally effective in changing nutrition knowledge and an attitude related specifically to the brochure content, i.e., nutrient-dense foods.