Exploring the impact of message framing and physical activity levels on the effectiveness of health communication and its underlying cognitive processes

Message framing and individual characteristics are important factors influencing the effectiveness of health communication about physical activity promotion plans. However, the relationship has not been largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in health communication effectiveness and its neural activity in individuals with different levels of physical activity under gain- and loss-framed using fNIRS and a computerized laboratory task test. The study design was a crossover design. Twenty-four people with low level of physical activity (mean age 18.42 ± 1.47 years, 13 males) and twenty-three people with high level of physical activity participated (mean age 22.22 ± 2.86 years, 11 males) in health communication under two experimental conditions: gain- and loss-framed messages. The Persuasive impacts of framed messages were measured by knowledge, attitude, and intention to engage in physical activity after participating in the health communication. fNIRS was used to measure activation in the prefrontal cortex. Analyses focused on both the mPFC and dlPFC regions, examining differences in HbO levels as a function of message framing and physical activity. To this end, a multifactor repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed. Participants’ knowledge[F(1, 45) = 53.40, p < 0.001, η2 p = 0.543], attitude[F(1, 45) = 12.98, p < 0.001, η2 p = 0.224], and intention[F(1, 45) = 5.20, p = 0.027, η2 p = 0.104] increased more significantly after exposure to the loss-framed message compared to the gain-framed message. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between the two groups[F(1, 45) = 8.53, p = 0.005, η2 p = 0.159]. The fNIRS results indicated that physical activity messages elicited significant positive activation (p < 0.06) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). There was a significant relationship (CH36: r = 0.395, p = 0.006) between the effectiveness of message framing and activation of the right dlPFC. Health communication in loss-framed messages is more effective than gain-framed, especially for individuals with low level of physical activity. The prefrontal cortex (mPFC and dlPFC) is involved in the cognitive function of health communication. The right dlPFC is the area of loss-framed messages and may be able to predict the effectiveness of health communication.