Tailored and Targeted Health Communication: Strategies for Enhancing Information Relevance

  • Matthew W. Kreuter
  • , Ricardo J. Wray

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

879 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To discuss tailored messages in the broader context of communication strategies designed to enhance the relevance of health information to a given audience. Methods: Describe specific mechanisms through which tailored health communication can enhance message relevance and identify situations in which the use of tailoring is most appropriate. Results: Overall, tailored messages appear to stimulate greater cognitive activity than do messages that are not tailored. However, non-tailored messages that happen to be a good fit for a given individual also have similar effects. Conclusion: Health communication programs and materials that succeed in making information relevant to their intended audience will be more effective than those that do not. Tailoring is a proven approach to enhancing message relevance, but not the only approach to do so, and under many circumstances may not be the preferred choice.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)S227-S232
JournalAmerican Journal of Health Behavior
Volume27
Issue numberSUPPL. 3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2003

Keywords

  • Elaboration likelihood model
  • Relevance
  • Tailored communication

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