Influences of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Parenting Stress, and Regulatory Focus on Persuasiveness of Ads for Reproductive Health Services

This study tested persuasiveness of ads for reproductive health services for mothers exposed to adverseg childhood experiences (ACEs) and experiencing parenting stress. A survey of 481 mothers assessed ACEs, parenting stress, and regulatory focus. Mothers rated the persuasiveness of six ads in three sets featuring prevention or promotion message framing, telehealth or in-person services, and services that did or did not address partner relations. Linear mixed models examined how ad framing, ACEs, parenting stress, and regulatory focus played a role in ad persuasiveness. Mothers exposed to a high number of ACEs were more likely to say they would use all advertised services. Mothers with low levels of parenting stress were the only subgroup who preferred telehealth over in-person services. The ad that addressed partner relations was more persuasive, especially among those reporting high parenting stress. Mothers who described a higher prevention regulatory focus found the prevention framed ad more persuasive. Whereas mothers exposed to a higher number of ACEs were more likely to describe their regulatory style as prevention focused, those in the high ACE group rated the prevention and promotion framed ads as equally persuasive. These results suggest it would be beneficial to broadly increase communication about reproductive health services to mothers who have experienced a high number of ACEs, consider parenting stress before recommending telehealth, keep in mind that maternal reproductive health services that address partner relations are appealing to mothers, and to include prevention framing in ads for reproductive healthcare.