Application of McGuire's Model to Weight Management Messages: Measuring Persuasion of Facebook Posts in the Healthy Body, Healthy U Trial for Young Adults Attending University in the United States

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 21; p. 14275
• Main Authors: Arnold, Jeanie, Bailey, Caitlin P, Evans, W Douglas, Napolitano, Melissa A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.11.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Audiences; Body weight loss; Communication; Diabetes; Didacticism; Female; Health Promotion; Humans; Intervention; Obesity; Persuasion; Persuasive Communication; Smartphones; Social Media; Social networks; Success; Text messaging; United States; Universities; Weight control; Weight Loss; Young Adult; Young adults; United States; United States > US; weight; communication; McGuire’s Model; Facebook
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114275

Digital communication is a common intervention channel for weight loss, yet little is known about the types of messages that are most effective. Using McGuire's Model of Communication and Persuasion as a framework, this study investigates the persuasiveness of Facebook messages posted as part of the weight loss intervention in the Healthy Body Healthy U (HBHU) study to determine what message characteristics prompt higher engagement on Facebook, and whether certain messages are more appealing to certain demographics. The first four weeks of HBHU Facebook posts (n = 32) were coded according to McGuire's Input Communication Factors. Facebook engagement scores [(Total Engaged Users/Total Reach) × 100] were calculated for each post to determine effectiveness. The most effective posts were diet-related discussions or interactive polls. Participants who engaged with the highest and lowest effect posts were in their mid-twenties and tended to be female. Those engaged with the highest effect posts had an average BMI of 32.34 kg/m , while those engaged with the lowest effect posts had an average BMI of 31.31 kg/m . The least effective posts were didactic lessons (i.e., diet- or reminder-based), or video-based informational posts (edutainment). Future interventions should balance didactic content and interactive engagement to achieve persuasive messaging.