Using a fotonovela to battle crystal meth in South Africa

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of a health-related fotonovela about crystal meth (S-methamphetamine hydrochloride) among "Colored" people (an ethnic label for people of mixed race) in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Crystal meth use is most common among Colored people in this province and it is considered a major social problem. The fotonovela was compared to a no-message control group and a traditional brochure in a randomized controlled trial (N ¼ 303). The fotonovela outperformed the control condition for knowledge level and it outperformed the traditional brochure on intention toward starting conversations about crystal meth. Especially readers with relatively low levels of education clearly preferred the fotonovela over the traditional brochure.

Using Photo Stories to Support Doctor-Patient Communication: Evaluating a Communicative Health Literacy Intervention for Older Adults

“…Similar outcomes are reported in a recent quantitative study in South Africa into the effects of a health-related photo story about crystal meth compared to a non-narrative brochure based on two existing traditional crystal meth documents [19]. In that study, the photo story on the dangers of crystal meth did not outperform the non-narrative brochure on knowledge or attitude.…”

“…While no significant differences were found in effects related to action (self-efficacy and behavioral intention), the difference we did find in motivation (preference) suggests that in a natural context people might be more willing to read the photo story booklet than the non-narrative brochure. Evidently, willingness to read a given document is a necessary, though under-researched condition for any processing effect to occur (see also [19]).…”

“…Photo stories, also called ‘fotonovelas’, are small publications, often in booklet format, that tell a dramatic story by means of photographs and short and easily readable captions. Photo stories are increasingly used as health communication tools to educate, support and empower people with lower levels of health literacy with respect to various health subjects [17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. The integrated presentation of textual and visual information to support information processing and learning is in line with the principles of multimedia understanding, which posit that the integrated presentation of textual and visual information can minimize cognitive load and thus support learning [24,25,26].…”

Improving Health Literacy Responsiveness: A Randomized Study on the Uptake of Brochures on Doctor-Patient Communication in Primary Health Care Waiting Rooms

“…Recent studies suggest that a specific form of narratives, namely ‘photo stories’ may be particularly effective health communication tools, especially for readers with a low level of literacy [ 23 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Photo stories, also called “fotonovelas”, are small publications, often in booklet format, that tell a (dramatic) story by means of photographs and short and easily readable captions.…”

“…The integrated presentation of textual and visual information in photo stories minimizes cognitive load, thus supporting information processing and learning [ 37 , 38 ]. Studies comparing photo stories to more traditional formats for health communication revealed only small effects on knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions, but readers clearly found photo stories more appealing [ 36 , 39 ].…”