Many contemporary major public health problems are a consequence of risky lifestyle behaviors. Efforts to reduce involvement in such behaviors have been based primarily on information-education campaigns, with little evidence of success. The current study seeks to test the proposition that mass-mediated health messages are more effective in influencing risky lifestyle behaviors through changing the social acceptability of these behaviors than through the traditional knowledge-attitude-behavior approach. This proposition is tested regarding US high school seniors' involvement in binge drinking behavior between 1978 and 1996. The relationship between trends in news coverage of binge drinking, binge-drinking-related beliefs, and youth binge drinking behavior is examined with Spearman rank-order correlations and then modeled with a modified version of Fan's (1988) ideodynamic model. The results of these analyses, while supporting predictions made from the traditional knowledge-attitude-behavior approach, also provide considerable evidence in support of the norm transformation approach. In addition, there is some evidence of a "spillover effect" from media coverage of drunk driving to binge drinking behavior. Implications to the study of mass media and public health are discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to: 1. Recognize two competing models of media effects on youth binge drinking behavior. 2. Apply the ideodynamic model of media effects to youth binge drinking
Keywords: Adolescent Health, Communication Effects
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.