Now or future? Analyzing the effects of message frame and format in motivating Chinese females to get HPV vaccines for their children.

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impacts of gain vs. loss-framed messages and narrative messages on Chinese women's intentions to get HPV vaccines for their children. A survey experiment was conducted among Chinese females (N = 453) assessing their responses to 3 types of messages (i.e. gain-framed, loss-framed and narrative) designed to promote HPV vaccination. No main effect was found for message types, but loss-framed message slightly increased vaccination intention. Time orientation moderated the relationship between message framing and vaccination intention. Narrative message works better among present-minded individuals, whereas gain-framed message was more persuasive for future-minded individuals. Integration of message frames (gain vs. loss) and message type (narrative vs. non-narrative) is recommended for future research. Narrative persuasion could be an effective tool in promoting health behaviors especially among present-minded individuals, or when the consequences of health decisions are temporally distant.