Abstract
Purpose
To test the relative effectiveness of culturally tailored vs non-tailored messages in narrative and non-narrative formats on empowering Mexican American young adults.
Design
Two parallel randomized controlled trials comparing: (1) cultural tailoring (holding message format constant) and (2) message format (narrative vs infographic; both are culturally tailored).
Setting
Online experiment with participants recruited through a commercial national pool; Mexican American women aged 18-29 years (N = 767).
Intervention
Single exposure to 1 of 3 messages: standard infographic, culturally tailored infographic (non-narrative), or culturally tailored comic book (narrative). Messages addressed sugary beverage consumption, industrial racialized marketing practices, and community action.
Measures
Pre-post measures of empowerment including community control, perceived effectiveness of collective action, and perceived ability to influence community decisions.
Analyses
ANCOVA was used to evaluate intervention effects while controlling baseline scores.
Results
Culturally tailored infographics significantly increased empowerment-related perceptions (P = 0.022, d = 0.19) while non-tailored infographics did not (Experiment 1; P = 0.262). When comparing formats with cultural tailoring held constant (Experiment 2), infographics increased empowerment-related perceptions (P = 0.003, d = 0.20), while comic books did not (P = 0.380). Both culturally tailored formats significantly improved perceived effectiveness of collective action (P < 0.001). Community control increased only with the culturally tailored infographics (P = 0.003).
Conclusion
Results demonstrate that culturally tailored messages, particularly in non-narrative format, can empower members of minoritized communities to resist racialized marketing practices.
Keywords
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