Information Processes Mediate the Effect of a Health Communication Intervention on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Abstract

Health communication interventions have been effective in promoting fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC). To explore mechanisms underlying health communication effectiveness, the authors investigated whether information processes mediated the relationship between health communication and FVC, using data from NC STRIDES. NC STRIDES tested the efficacy of two health communication strategies to promote FVC among a diverse population-based sample of older adults. Participants were randomized to 1 of 4 groups: control, tailored print communication (TPC), telephone motivational interviewing (TMI), or combined (TPC + TMI). To analyze data from 469 participants, the authors constructed multi-sample structural equation models. Information processes mediated the effect of TMI and TPC + TMI on FVC. TMI had an indirect effect on FVC through relevance of the communications. TPC + TMI influenced FVC through perceived relevance of the communications, trust in the communications, and dose recall via two paths. In the first path, relevance was associated with trust. Trust was associated with recall, and greater recall predicted FVC. In the second path, relevance was associated with dose recall, and more recall predicted FVC. Thus, the authors found that key information processes mediated the relationship between a health communication intervention and FVC. Further research should investigate ways to enhance relevance, trust, and recall during the delivery of interventions.

Acknowledgments

The NC STRIDES study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute (RO1-CA81914). This project was supported in part by the University of North Carolina Lineberger Cancer Control Education Program (R25 CA057726), the Lawrence G. Branch Doctoral Student Research Award from the American Public Health Association, and the Vivian Drenckhan Graduate Student Scholarship from the Society for Public Health Education. The authors acknowledge Dr. Joan F. Walsh and Ms. Carol Carr for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article.

Notes

Note. FVC = fruit and vegetable consumption.

Note. Especially = communication especially designed for self; importance = importance of the communication to self; application = communication application to life; follow-up FVC = follow-up fruit and vegetable consumption; recall = dose recall; trust = trust in the communication; TPC = tailored print communication; TMI = telephone motivational interviewing; baseline FVC = baseline fruit and vegetable consumption.