Explaining the Effects of Anticipated Regret Messages on Young Women's Intention to Consume Folic Acid: A Moderated-Mediation Model

This study tests a moderated-mediation model to explain the joint effects of consideration of future consequences and exposure to health messages containing an anticipated regret component on behavioral intention to consume folic acid. In an online survey-experiment conducted in March 2011, 245 women 18-35 years of age were randomized to 1 of 3 conditions (exposure to attitude-only message/exposure to attitude-plus-anticipated-regret message/no message exposure) in a between-participants design. Results showed a positive joint effect of consideration of future consequences and exposure to an attitude-plus-anticipated-regret message on anticipated regret (B = 0.89, SE = 0.41, p < .05). Among women high in consideration of future consequences, exposure to an attitude-plus-anticipated-regret message increased anticipated regret. Likewise, another positive joint effect of consideration of future consequences and anticipated regret on behavioral intention was observed (B = 0.28, SE = 0.12, p < .05). Anticipated regret was positively related to intention among women high in consideration of future consequences. Implications are discussed.