Message framing effects on attitude and intention toward social participation in old age

BACKGROUND: Message framing is frequently used to advocate health perceptions and behaviors. The effects of message framing on various health behaviors have been examined; however, its effects on social participation, a key determinant of healthy aging, are unclear. This study investigated the effects of message framing on older adults’ attitudes and intentions toward social participation. METHODS: A questionnaire survey conducted in 2020 targeted community-dwelling people aged ≥ 65 years in two rural areas in Japan. Participants were randomly allocated to four groups according to the types of framed messages to promote social participation activities: “private gain-framed message,” “private loss-framed message,” “public gain-framed message,” or “no message.” Outcomes included attitudes and intentions toward social participation (impression, interest, and readiness for social participation activities). RESULTS: A total of 1,524 participants were analyzed (men: 46.3%; average age: 75.7 ± 7.9 years). Ordinal logistic regression analyses of individuals who engaged in any social participation activity showed no significant intergroup difference in the outcomes after adjusting for potential covariates. Among people who did not engage in any activity, the private loss-framed message was associated with a more favorable impression and higher interest and readiness than no message. The private gain-framed message was related to a higher interest in social participation. CONCLUSIONS: Private loss-framed messages are possibly most effective in reinforcing attitudes and intentions toward social participation, particularly among individuals without social participation experience. These findings highlight the possibility of using a message-framing approach to promote social participation in older adults. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-16555-1.