Examining influences of personal factors on the first- and third-person evaluations of public health issues among young adults

Abstract

Both health and the environment are critical public health issues that have a considerable impact on young adults. However, they have different characteristics that influence how messaging is received. In our study, we examine the influence of three personal factors (issue involvement, behavioral change intention, and product use) on young adults’ perception of messages for these two public health issues from both first- and third-person perspectives. We found various patterns when comparing the two public health issues, first-person and third-person measures, and the perceived threat and likelihood of contributing to the issues. We also discuss practical implications and suggestions based on our findings.

Keywords:

• Behavior change intention
• environment
• issue involvement
• product use
• public health
• third-person effect

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.