Messaging intervention for promoting self-monitoring of fruit and vegetable consumption

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB ‒ Ajzen, 1991) has been widely applied in predicting fruit and vegetable consumption. The aim of this pilot study was to test the applicability of the TPB model to the evaluation of a messaging intervention for promoting this healthy eating behaviour. Particularly, the intervention consisted in sending daily messages that promote self-monitoring of fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants (N=116 undergraduates; 30 M, 86 F; mean age=22.91, S. D.=8,33), were involved in a quasi-experimental design which manipulated the variable "messages vs no messages". After the intervention, experimental group (which received daily messages), compared with control (which did not receive messages), increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Moreover, intention mediated the effects of conditions on post-intervention consumption. Therefore, findings confirmed the predictive power of the TPB, which considers the behavioral intention as a cognitive antecedent of behavior. Although the limitations of the current pilot study, these results can be used to support new strategies for promoting healthy eating, which may use the messaging intervention as a more contextualized communication for the new generations.

Keywords: Theory of Planned Behavior, messaging intervention, fruit and vegetable promotion

• Regulatory Focus and the Effect of Nutritional Messages on Health and Well‐Being: The Case of Red Meat Intake Mauro Bertolotti, Valentina Carfora, Patrizia Catellani, in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being /2020 pp.212
  DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12180
• Moderating effects of pro-environmental self-identity on pro-environmental intentions and behaviour: A multi-behaviour study V. Carfora, D. Caso, P. Sparks, M. Conner, in Journal of Environmental Psychology /2017 pp.92
  DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.07.001
• Informational and emotional daily messages to reduce red and processed meat consumption Valentina Carfora, Mauro Bertolotti, Patrizia Catellani, in Appetite 104331/2019 pp.104331
  DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104331
• Randomised controlled trial of a text messaging intervention for reducing processed meat consumption: The mediating roles of anticipated regret and intention V. Carfora, D. Caso, M. Conner, in Appetite /2017 pp.152
  DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.06.025
• The Effect of Persuasive Messages in Promoting Home-Based Physical Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic Valentina Carfora, Patrizia Catellani, in Frontiers in Psychology 644050/2021
  DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644050
• How to reduce red and processed meat consumption by daily text messages targeting environment or health benefits V. Carfora, P. Catellani, D. Caso, M. Conner, in Journal of Environmental Psychology 101319/2019 pp.101319
  DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101319
• The Influence of Message Framing on Consumers’ Selection of Local Food Valentina Carfora, Maria Morandi, Patrizia Catellani, in Foods /2022 pp.1268
  DOI: 10.3390/foods11091268
• Dialogue management in conversational agents through psychology of persuasion and machine learning Valentina Carfora, Francesca Di Massimo, Rebecca Rastelli, Patrizia Catellani, Marco Piastra, in Multimedia Tools and Applications /2020 pp.35949
  DOI: 10.1007/s11042-020-09178-w
• The psychosocial antecedents of the adherence to the Mediterranean diet Valentina Carfora, Maria Morandi, Anđela Jelić, Patrizia Catellani, in Public Health Nutrition /2022 pp.2742
  DOI: 10.1017/S1368980022000878
• Using Messages Targeting Psychological versus Physical Health Benefits to Promote Walking Behaviour: A Randomised Controlled Trial Daniela Caso, Valentina Carfora, Miriam Capasso, Deborah Oliano, Mark Conner, in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being /2021 pp.152
  DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12224
• Il ruolo del rimpianto anticipato nella previsione del consumo di frutta come snack tra i giovani Luigina Canova, Andrea Bobbio, Anna Maria Manganelli, in PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE 1/2022 pp.114
  DOI: 10.3280/PDS2022-001007
• A Cognitive-Emotional Model to Explain Message Framing Effects: Reducing Meat Consumption Valentina Carfora, Massimiliano Pastore, Patrizia Catellani, in Frontiers in Psychology 583209/2021
  DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.583209
• Promoting water intake. The persuasiveness of a messaging intervention based on anticipated negative affective reactions and self-monitoring Valentina Carfora, Daniela Caso, Francesco Palumbo, Mark Conner, in Appetite /2018 pp.236
  DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.08.017

Daniela Caso, Valentina Carfora, Un intervento di messaggistica istantanea per la promozione del monitoraggio del consumo di frutta e verdura in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 1/2017, pp 97-111, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2017-001005