Latinas’ Level of Acculturation as a Moderator of Narrative Persuasion and Compliance With HPV Vaccination Messages

• In Event: Ethnicity and Race in Communication: Top Papers

Abstract

This study investigated the role played by level of acculturation in the mechanism underlying the effect of narrative persuasion on health-related outcomes. A random sample of 186 Mexican American females was exposed either to a narrative specifically designed to increase Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake or an equivalent nonnarrative film. Consistent with previous studies, the results showed that, compared to a nonnarrative stimulus, exposure to a fictional story increased transportation and HPV intentions. When treating acculturation as a moderator, stronger and more consistent effects emerged for less-acculturated Latinas, which were explained by a shift in descriptive and injunctive norms regarding HPV vaccine uptake. Conversely, normative beliefs were less salient for acculturated individuals for whom transportation was a better predictor of narrative effects. These findings extend the discussion on health communication through storytelling by calling attention to the importance of cultural factors in the framework of narrative persuasion.

Authors

• Nathan Walter, U of Southern California

• Sheila Teresa Murphy, U of Southern California

• Lauren B. Frank, Portland State U

• Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, U of Southern California