Presentation of aversive visual images in health communication for changing health behaviour

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows:

Primary objective

The primary objective of the review is to estimate the extent to which presentation of visual images of potential health risks or adverse consequences associated with health behaviours may increase or decrease health behaviour such as:

• dietary behaviour;

• physical activity;

• smoking;

• alcohol consumption;

• sun protection behaviour;

• adherence to medical advice or treatment;

• use of health services, e.g. attendance for screening or treatment programmes.

This will be considered in comparison to the impact of communicating information in a way that does not involve showing the individual such images (such as through purely written or oral communications).

Secondary objective

A secondary objective is to determine the impact of these interventions on the following outcomes (or their moderating role in behaviour change):

• intention or motivation to change health behaviour;

• knowledge and understanding of the disease, condition, treatment or risk;

• attitudes toward the disease, condition, treatment or health care;

• perceived severity of the disease or condition;

• perceived susceptibility to the disease or condition;

• self-efficacy (confidence in the ability to change behaviour);

• response efficacy (perceived effectiveness of behaviour change with regard to health);

• emotional response e.g. fear or disgust

• psychological health of the patient, including anxiety, depression, mood, wellbeing;

• acceptability of the intervention.