Digital Commons Network^™

Are Smokers Scared By Covid-19 Risk? How Fear And Comparative Optimism Influence Smokers’ Intentions To Take Measures To Quit Smoking, Hue Trong Duong, Zachary Massey, Victoria Churchill, Lucy Popova

Communication Faculty Publications

Research suggests that smoking may compound the risk of serious health problems to smokers who contract COVID-19. This study examines whether and how exposure to news stories reporting the severe COVID-19 risk to smokers may influence smokers’ emotional responses (fear, anxiety, and sadness) and intentions to take measures to quit smoking. Current smokers in the US participated in an online experiment (N = 495) and were randomized to read smoking risk news stories or news stories reporting the combined risk of smoking and COVID-19. We found that combined risk news stories lead to participants feeling more fearful and sadder than …

Applying The Integrative Model To Predict Intention To Use Corporal Punishment Among Low-Income Parents, Hue Trong Duong

Communication Faculty Publications

Child corporal punishment (CP) is associated with child physical abuse, which is a public health problem in the United States. Informed by the integrative model of behavioral prediction, this study surveyed low-income Black, Hispanic, and White parents who had children younger than 6 years old (N = 260) to identify major risk factors that determined intention to use CP to discipline children. Structural equation modeling revealed that attitudes, descriptive norms, and perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies were associated with intention to use CP. Additionally, parents’ childhood CP frequency and past use of CP with their own children were …

Risk Perception And Covid-19 Preventive Behaviors: Application Of The Integrative Model Of Behavioral Prediction, Hue Trong Duong, Hoa Thanh Nguyen, Soroya J. Mcfarlane, Long Nguyen

Communication Faculty Publications

Preventing the COVID-19 outbreak primarily depends on individuals’ willingness to adopt social distancing and mask wearing behaviors. However, little is known about what drives individuals to adopt these behaviors. Guided by the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction, this study surveyed 590 adults in the US during the early stages of the outbreak to identify factors influencing intentions to practice social distancing and wear masks. Structural equation modeling results show that while attitudes are positively associated with intentions to perform both behaviors, perceived norms are positively associated with intentions to wear masks, and self-efficacy is positively associated with intentions to practice …

Preventing The Covid-19 Outbreak In Vietnam: Social Media Campaign Exposure And The Role Of Interpersonal Communication, Hue Trong Duong, Long Nguyen, Soroya J. Mcfarlane, Hoa Thanh Nguyen, Khai The Nguyen

Communication Faculty Publications

The present study focused on the success story of Vietnam’s ability to control the COVID-19 outbreak in the early stages to examine the associations between exposure to the Vietnam Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 prevention social media campaign messages, interpersonal communication, attitudes, perceived norms, self-efficacy, and intentions to stay at home. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with residents in Ho Chi Minh City (N = 360). Results from mediation analyses indicated that interpersonal communication mediated the effect of social media campaign exposure on intentions to stay at home. Moreover, interpersonal communication shaped injunctive norms and self-efficacy that were conducive to …

‘It Brings Light To What You Really Put Into Your Body’: A Focus Group Study Of Reactions To Messages About Nicotine Reduction In Cigarettes, Hue Trong Duong, Emily E. Loud, James F. Thrasher, Katherine C. Henderson, David L. Ashley, Lucy Popova

Communication Faculty Publications

Objective: In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a proposed regulation to lower nicotine in cigarettes to minimally addictive levels to help smokers quit. We sought to explore effective message strategies communicating about nicotine reduction in cigarettes across the different key audiences that the regulation is most likely to influence.

Methods: We designed four types of messages: efficacy messages, risk messages, a message about alternative sources of nicotine, and a compensation message. Sixteen virtual focus groups were conducted in Atlanta and San Francisco in April-May 2020. Data were analyzed in NVivo 12.0 using a thematic analysis approach. …

Identifying Knowledge, Self-Efficacy And Response Efficacy Of Alternative Discipline Strategies Among Low-Income Black, Latino And White Parents, Hue Trong Duong, Jennifer L. Monahan, Laura M. Mercer Kollar, Joanne Klevens

Communication Faculty Publications

Corporal punishment (CP) leads to detrimental mental and physical consequences for a child. One way to prevent CP is to encourage parents to apply alternative discipline strategies that do not involve violence. Based on the knowledge—behavior gap framework in public health education, this study analyzed the focus group data of 75 low-income Black, Latino and White parents to uncover commonalties and differences in their knowledge, self-efficacy and response efficacy of alternative discipline strategies. Findings revealed that parents knew several alternative discipline strategies and had confidence in their ability to conduct these strategies. However, parents reported that some strategies were hard …

Examining Sources Of Social Norms Supporting Child Corporal Punishment Among Low-Income Black, Latino, And White Parents, Hue Trong Duong, Jennifer L. Monahan, Laura M. Mercer Kollar, Joanne Klevens

Communication Faculty Publications

Child corporal punishment is a prevalent public health problem in the U.S. Although corporal punishment is sustained through parents’ perceptions of social norms supporting this discipline behavior, little research has investigated where these normative perceptions come from. To fill this gap, we conducted 13 focus groups including 75 low-income Black, Latino, and White parents across five states in the U.S. Results revealed that one influential source of Black and White parents’ perceived norms was their positive framing of corporal punishment experiences during childhood. Furthermore, Black parents formed normative perceptions based on identification with parents in their racial/ethnic group, while White …

Childhood Experiences And Attitudes Toward Corporal Punishment: The Mediating Role Of Perceived Efficacy Of Alternative Discipline Strategies Among Low-Income Black, Hispanic, And White Parents, Hue Trong Duong

Communication Faculty Publications

Corporal punishment (CP) is associated with harmful outcomes to child development. Favorable attitudes toward CP are a major predictor of CP use. Thus, identifying and changing factors influencing such attitudes help to prevent CP. Although research has confirmed the effect of childhood experiences of CP on attitudes toward CP, few studies have examined mechanisms underpinning this association. To fill this gap, this study investigated the role of perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies in mediating the association between childhood experiences of CP and attitudes toward CP among low-income Black, Hispanic, and White parents. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with …