Designing health messages for older adults

Factors that influence older adults’ perceptions of hope for making health behavior changes

Abstract

One motivator for improving older adults’ diet and exercise may be perceptions of hope; however, little is known about what factors influence hope in older adults and what linguistic features can subsequently be used in strategic messages to increase older adults’ feelings of hope. Using Persuasive Hope Theory (PHT), this study examined whether older adults’ self-reported self-efficacy and perceptions that improving their diet and exercise are important, possible, congruent with their goals (i.\,e., goal congruence), and will lead to a better future (i.\,e., future expectation) influence self-reported feelings of hope. A convenience sample of older adults (N\,=\,58) in Southcentral Alaska completed a questionnaire. A multiple regression analysis revealed that importance and future expectation significantly and positively predicted feeling hopeful about fruit and vegetable intake; possibility, goal congruence, and self-efficacy did not. The PHT variables for increasing exercise did not significantly predict feeling hopeful about increasing exercise. Participants’ reasons for feeling hopeful included excitement and motivation about a supportive environment; some participants reported not feeling hopeful due to perceived frailty or illness. These results are an important first step towards understanding what factors and subsequent hope-based language choices motivate older adults to engage in positive health behaviors via feelings of hope.