ECOLOGICAL MESSAGE FRAMING AND SUSTAINABLE MENSTRUAL PRODUCT CHOICES

NCT07610421 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: AMU-EBE-2025-17985859696-604.01.01-9807
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 246
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Climate change is an increasing public health concern, with growing evidence linking climate change anxiety to health behaviors. Message framing (loss-framed, gain-framed, neutral) is a key strategy in behavioral medicine that may influence both emotional responses and environmentally related health behaviors, including menstrual product choices. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of message framing strategies on women's climate change anxiety, attitudes toward environmental sustainability of menstrual products, and menstrual product preference tendencies. Keywords: Menstrual Hygiene Products, climate change, message framing, eco-anxiety, environmental sustainability, women's health

Conditions

Climate Anxiety; Health Behavior; Menstrual Product Choice; Environmental Sustainability

Keywords

message framing; climate change anxiety; eco-anxiety; sustainable menstrual products; menstrual hygiene products; women's health; environmental sustainability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Climate Change Anxiety Score

  Climate change anxiety was measured using the Climate Change Anxiety Scale. The scale consists of 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher levels of climate change anxiety.

  Immediately after message exposure, in the same online survey session

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Environmental Sustainability Attitude Toward Menstrual Products

  Immediately after message exposure, in the same online survey session

• Environmental Awareness Score

  Immediately after message exposure, in the same online survey session

• Sustainable Menstrual Product Preference Score

  Immediately after message exposure, in the same online survey session

• Accessibility and Information-Seeking Score

  Immediately after message exposure, in the same online survey session

Study Arms (3)

Gain-framed ecological message

EXPERIMENTAL

A standardized text-based message emphasizing the benefits of reusable and sustainable menstrual products for environmental protection, individual health, and long-term economic savings. The message exposure lasted approximately 2-3 minutes.

Behavioral: Gain-framed ecological message

Loss-framed ecological message

EXPERIMENTAL

A standardized text-based message highlighting the environmental and health-related risks associated with disposable and plastic-containing menstrual products, including plastic waste, microplastics, carbon footprint, and ecological harm. The message exposure lasted approximately 2-3 minutes.

Behavioral: Loss-framed ecological message

Neutral informational message

EXPERIMENTAL

A standardized text-based neutral message describing disposable and reusable menstrual products, product materials, waste generation, accessibility, cost, comfort, and user-related factors without emotional gain or loss framing.

Behavioral: Neutral informational message

Interventions

Gain-framed ecological message BEHAVIORAL

A standardized text-based message emphasizing the benefits of reusable and sustainable menstrual products for environmental protection, individual health, and long-term economic savings. The message exposure lasted approximately 2-3 minutes.

Gain-framed ecological message

Loss-framed ecological message BEHAVIORAL

A standardized text-based message highlighting the environmental and health-related risks associated with disposable and plastic-containing menstrual products, including plastic waste, microplastics, carbon footprint, and ecological harm. The message exposure lasted approximately 2-3 minutes.

Loss-framed ecological message

Neutral informational message BEHAVIORAL

A standardized text-based neutral message describing disposable and reusable menstrual products, product materials, waste generation, accessibility, cost, comfort, and user-related factors without emotional gain or loss framing.

Neutral informational message

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Women aged 18 to 45 years
• Having regular menstrual cycles
• Having sufficient proficiency in reading and understanding Turkish
• Providing voluntary informed consent to participate

You may not qualify if:

• Women without a menstrual cycle
• Menopausal women
• Women with visual or cognitive impairments that prevent understanding the study messages
• Participants who submitted incomplete survey forms

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ankara Medipol University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ankara Medipol Üniversitesi

Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Health Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants were not explicitly informed of their group assignment. Each participant was exposed only to the assigned text-based message condition through the online survey link.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Participants were randomly assigned to one of three parallel groups: gain-framed ecological message, loss-framed ecological message, or neutral informational message. Each participant received only one text-based message condition, and outcomes were assessed immediately after message exposure in a single online survey session.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2026
• First Posted: May 28, 2026
• Study Start: September 16, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2025
• Study Completion: December 31, 2025
• Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)