What's in a leaflet?: Identifying research-based persuasive messages in European alcohol-education leaflets

Cognitive antecedents of alcohol consumption have been identified and psychologists have provided research-based recommendations regarding the content of persuasive communication designed to reduce health-endangering drinking. Yet, there has been little research into the correspondence between such recommendations and the content of publicly available health education leaflets. This study assessed the extent to which messages in leaflets designed to reduce alcohol consumption correspond to research-based recommendations. Comprehensive samples of widely available alcohol education leaflets were assembled in UK (N=31), Germany (N=30) and The Netherlands (N=21). A quantitative content analysis Content Analysis Approach to Theory-specified Persuasive Educational Communication, CAATSPEC was employed to categorise the leaflet text. Results indicated that most leaflets did not include a range of persuasive messages targeting the potentially modifiable cognitive antecedents, with 68% including no more than half of 29 research-derived message types. Data-based recommendations on the construction of health education leaflets are provided.