Promoting healthy hearts among British South Asians : the effects of message framing and cultural sensitivity on health behaviour

• Main Author: Daffu-O'Reilly, Amrit Kaur
• Published: University of Leeds 2011
• Subjects: 614.591
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.582121

It is well documented that British South Asians (BSAs; people of South Asian origin residing in the UK) experience an elevated risk of developing coronary heart disease. The disease rate is approximately 50% higher than the national average. Many causal factors for this unfavourable risk profile have been put forward indicating that it is likely to be explained by a complex interplay of both genetic and lifestyle factors. Components of the BSA diet coupled with an inactive lifestyle have been identified as modifiable risk factors which could play a significant role in the prevention of this disease. Despite the identification of modifiable risk factors, health promotion interventions with measurable behavioural outcomes designed for this population are sparse. The testing of prevention strategies amongst this population is of vital importance. This thesis aimed to address the current gap in the literature by designing and testing a novel health promotion intervention specifically for the younger BSA population by means of a randomised controlled trial. The intervention was informed and underpinned by two prominent theories in the field of health research - prospect theory and the theory of planned behaviour. A novel variable, cultural sensitivity, was also manipulated. The intervention aimed to target change in two behaviours - the reduction of overall fat and an increase in physical activity. The intervention was informed and designed using the findings of a .systernatic review of the message framing literature (Chapter 2), a qualitative study which aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators to healthy living for BSAs (Chapter 3) and by the design and piloting of theory-driven behaviour change DVDs (Chapter 4). The findings of the research showed that the effects of message framing and cultural sensitivity are different for a) the type of behaviour being promoted (dietary vs. physical activity) and b) BSA males and females. It appears that BSA males and females respond differently to health promotion information relating to physical activity, yet no gender differences were apparent for dietary behaviours. These findings suggest that BSA males and females may require tailored approaches for health behaviour change interventions and there was evidence to suggest that there may be some utility in manipulating health information, both in terms of framing and cultural sensitivity, for the BSA audience. The findings did not provide any support for the mediating role of social cognitive variables on health behaviour change.