What's said in a subject line? Framing the email subject lines in health messages sent to university students

• Published in: Journal of American college health Vol. 70; no. 2; pp. 446 - 452
• Main Authors: Miller, Alison K., Rothman, Alexander J., Lenne, Richie L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.02.2022; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Action; Behavior change; Behavior Modification; College health; College students; Electronic Mail; Electronic mail systems; Email; Frame analysis; Graduate Students; health messages; Health Promotion; Humans; Information Dissemination; Mental Health Programs; message framing stress management; School Health Services; Stress Management; Student Behavior; Students; Undergraduate Students; Universities; University students; College health; health messages; message framing stress management; email
• DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1754219
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208

Objective To examine whether manipulating the frame used in email subject lines affects open or click-through rate. Participants: Students (N = 38,538) at a Midwestern university received emails from their health clinic about a stress management program (September - December 2017). Method: Three subject lines (Action Instruction only, Gain Frame plus Action Instruction, Non-loss Frame plus Action Instruction) were used. Each student randomly received one subject line in the first two months and one in the next two months. Email open and click-through rates were measured. Results: Emails with the Action Instruction only subject line were more likely to be opened; there was no difference in open rate between the two framed subject lines, and no effect on click-through rates. Conclusion: This study supports the benefits of action instructions to encourage behavior change but calls for further research on the effects of frames and action instructions in email subject lines.