Pearce-Ings
The art of persuasion
Although generally more information is a good thing, too much false information can result in limiting health care.
“Despite someone thinking something was informative, it doesn’t necessarily change their attitudes or perceptions,” she said.
What the women liked about the materials were clear messaging with a respectful tone that was not patronizing, as well as statistics.
“They wanted information on both the pros and cons, the risks as well as the benefits,” Ms. Mendel said. “They also wanted to believe the information they were interacting with was coming from a reliable source,” although she added that “what we may consider a reliable source may not necessarily be what they consider a reliable source.”
Ultimately, no single message or approach worked well for all the mothers, but they all wanted “balanced messages,” although it wasn’t clear if giving more attention to possible risks would positively influence their beliefs about immunization.
“It’s clear that many sources really shape these views and perceptions around vaccines and immunization for these women,” Ms. Mendel said. “It’s really clear that these women are doing the best they can, or believe they can, to make the best health and wellness decisions for their children. However, as health communicators, I think there remains a lot of opportunities for us to help them do a better job.”
The researchers reported no disclosures and did not report external funding sources.