This study investigates how differently-framed messages can affect people's attitude towards falls risk and prevention in older adults. This study considers the potentiality of adult children acting as change agents in influencing parents in falls prevention.
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted to test the effectiveness of two messaging types (positively vs negatively framed) via two target audiences (older vs younger adults). The RCT evaluates the effectiveness of the differently-framed messages delivered to older and younger adults in affecting people's attitude toward falls risk and motivating them to learn about preventing falls. Also, the potential of adult children acting as change agents to positively influence parents in preventing falls is explored. Older and younger adults who are eligible to participate in this study are randomly given one message. For older adults, the objective is to study which message is more effective in affecting their attitude towards falls risk and motivating them to learn about preventing falls. For younger adults, the aim is to understand which message is more effective in motivating them to learn about preventing falls for their parents. Hypotheses: H1: The negatively framed message is more effective than the positively framed counterpart in motivating older adults to find out about preventing falls. However, this effect decreases as the socioeconomic status decreases. H2: The negatively framed message is more effective than the positively framed counterpart in motivating younger adults to find out about preventing falls.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
1,200
Participants in this arm are not given any intervention.
Participants in this arm are given a positively framed message from an older adult's point of view.
Participants in this arm are given a negatively framed message from an older adult's point of view.
National University of Singapore
Singapore, Singapore
RECRUITINGHow much does the participant want to find out about preventing falls for himself/herself or his/her father/mother?
This is a scale variable ranging from 1 to 9, which is "1" if not at all and "9" if a lot
Time frame: After being given a message during the survey, an average of 2 minutes
Whether the participant or the participant's father/mother has fallen in the past 12 months
This is a categorical variable, which is "Yes" if the participant or the participant's father/mother has fallen in the past 12 months, "No" if not, and "Do not know" if the participant does not know whether his/her father/mother has fallen in the past 12 months
Time frame: After being given a message during the survey, an average of 2 minutes
Whether the participant or the participant's father/mother is concerned about falling
This is a categorical variable, which is "Very concerned" if the participant or the participant's father/mother is very concerned about falling, "Slightly concerned" if s/he is slightly concerned about falling, "Not concerned" if s/he is not concerned about falling, and "Do not know" if the participant does not know whether his/her father/mother is concerned about falling
Time frame: After being given a message during the survey, an average of 2 minutes
Whether the participant or the participant's father/mother feels like s/he is going to fall when standing or walking
This is a categorical variable, which is "Always" if the participant or the participant's father/mother always feels like s/he is going to fall when standing or walking, "Sometimes" if s/he sometimes feels like s/he is going to fall when standing or walking, "Never" if s/he never feels like s/he is going to fall when standing or walking, and "Do not know" if the participant does not know whether his/her father/mother feels like s/he is going to fall when standing or walking
Time frame: After being given a message during the survey, an average of 2 minutes
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Participants in this arm are given a positively framed message from an adult child's point of view.
Participants in this arm are given a negatively framed message from an adult child's point of view.