TY  - JOUR
AU  - Smit, Eline Suzanne
AU  - Zeidler, Chamoetal
AU  - Resnicow, Ken
AU  - de Vries, Hein
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/10/30
TI  - Identifying the Most Autonomy-Supportive Message Frame in Digital Health Communication: A 2x2 Between-Subjects Experiment
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e14074
VL  - 21
IS  - 10
KW  - health communication
KW  - health behavior
KW  - personal autonomy
KW  - internet
KW  - health promotion
KW  - healthy diet
KW  - self-determination theory
AB  - Background: The effectiveness of digital health communication may be increased by enhancing autonomy supportiveness. Objective: This study aimed to identify the most autonomy-supportive message frame within an intervention for increasing vegetable intake by testing the effect of the following 2 strategies: (1) using autonomy-supportive language and (2) providing choice. Methods: A Web-based 2 (autonomy-supportive vs controlling language)×2 (choice vs no choice) experiment was conducted among 526 participants, recruited via a research panel. The main outcome measures were perceived autonomy support (measured using the Virtual Care Climate Questionnaire, answered with scores 1 to 5), perceived relevance (measured with one question, answered with scores 1 to 5), and overall evaluation of the intervention (measured with 1 open-ended question, answered with scores 1 to 10). Results: Choice had a significant positive effect on the overall evaluation of the intervention (b=.12; P=.003), whereas for participants with a high need for autonomy, there was a significant positive effect on perceived relevance (b=.13; P=.02). The positive effect of choice on perceived autonomy support approached significance (b=.07; P=.07). No significant effects on any of the three outcomes were observed for language. Conclusions: Results suggest that provision of choice rather than the use of autonomy-supportive language can be an easy-to-implement strategy to increase the effectiveness of digital forms of health communication, especially for people with a high need for autonomy. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - http://www.jmir.org/2019/10/e14074/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/14074
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31670693
DO  - 10.2196/14074
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/14074
ER  -