HEALTH OR WELL-BEING? FRAMING EFFECTS IN NUTRITION COMMUNICATION AIMED AT THE ELDERLY

Taking care of one's nutrition is crucial to maintain good health, and prevent the most common diseases associated with ageing, but also to remain active and improve one's well-being and quality of life. Convincing people to follow a balanced diet, however, is a rather difficult task. Message framing can be used to improve the effectiveness of communication on this topic, thus promoting healthier food choices. In fact, a carefully chosen frame can highlight the features of a message that are more likely to motivate individuals to change their established nutritional habits. In a series of studies, we investigated the factors influencing the persuasiveness of communication about nutrition aimed at the elderly. Results indicate that both the commonly used health-framed messages and the less frequently employed well-being framed messages can be persuasive. In the latter case, a prefactual formulation (e.g., "If you eat too much meat, your quality of life will worsen") can increase recipients' interest and involvement, leading to a stronger intention to follow the recommendations.