Effect of health messages on alcohol attitudes and intentions in a sample of 16- & 17-year-old underage drinkers
Journal article
Moss, AC, Evans, S and Albery, IP (2017). Effect of health messages on alcohol attitudes and intentions in a sample of 16- & 17-year-old underage drinkers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 14 (10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101183
Authors | Moss, AC, Evans, S and Albery, IP |
---|---|
Abstract | Background. Responsible drinking messages (RDMs) are a key component of many education-based interventions for reducing alcohol harms. The evidence base for the effectiveness of RDMs is extremely limited, with some recent research suggesting iatrogenic effects of such messages. Objective. To examine the effects of exposure to health messages on attitudes towards drinking and drunkenness, and intentions to drink and get drunk, amongst underage drinkers. Methods. Ninety-four underage drinkers were recruited from colleges in the UK. Participants were either actively or passively exposed to one of two health messages (RDM or general wellbeing). Measures of attitudes and intentions towards drinking and drunkenness were obtained one week before and immediately after participation in the study. A unit estimation task was also included. Results. Active exposure to RDMs led to more positive attitude towards drunkenness, while passive exposure led to more negative attitudes. Passive RDM exposure led to increased intentions to get drunk in future. Wellbeing posters produced the opposite effect in some but not all of these measures. Conclusions. Exposure to RDMs may have some beneficial effects in terms of creating more negative attitudes towards alcohol consumption, but we also identified potential iatrogenic effects regarding attitudes and intentions towards drunkenness amongst an underage sample of drinkers. Further research is required to better understand optimal ways of framing RDMs to produce positive changes in attitudes, intentions and prospective drinking behaviour. |
Keywords | alcohol; attitude change; drinking intentions; student drinkers; underage drinkers; responsible drinking messages; MD Multidisciplinary; Toxicology |
Year | 2017 |
Journal | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Journal citation | 14 (10) |
Publisher | MDPI |
ISSN | 1661-7827 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101183 |
Publication dates | |
05 Oct 2017 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 09 Oct 2017 |
Accepted | 27 Sep 2017 |
Publisher's version | File Access Level Open |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/86x69
Download files
Publisher's version
ijerph-209963 DEPOSIT copy.docx | ||
File access level: Open |
Effects of health messages on alcohol attitudes and intentions.pdf | ||
License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
File access level: Open |
166
total views169
total downloads0
views this month0
downloads this month