Health Communication via Line and Thai Seniors: Impacts of Content Type and Message Framing on Audiences’ Responses

Main Article Content

Opaporn Pasvekin
Ratanasuda Punnahitanond
Rosechongporn Komolsevin
Pacharaporn Kesaprakorn

Abstract

This research investigated health communication via LINE targeting the Thai seniors. Using a mixed-method research (content analysis and survey), the study aimed to identify emerging themes of content type and message framing, and to find out their influences on Thai senior citizens’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses. Content analysis of 31 health messages in two LINE official accounts revealed three types of content (informative, narrative, and mix), and three types of message framing (gain-framed, loss-framed, and mix-framed). Content analysis results led to the development of a survey questionnaire. Participants are 303 Thai senior citizens purposively recruited from Thai senior schools and senior clubs. Among nine proposed research hypotheses being tested by the Structural Equation Model (SEM), all except hypothesis 6 were supported. Its analysis results suggested that a mix of informational and narrative messages was more persuasive. Gain-framed messages were more persuasive than loss-framed messages. In terms of three response types, Thai senior citizens’cognitive responses were found to have a direct effect on their behavioral and affective responses, together with an indirect effect on behavioral responses as mediated by their affective responses.

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