The influence of communicator characteristics on the nutrition attitudes and behavior of high school students.

The development of school health programs requires that careful attention be paid to the communication of health information. One factor important to the communication process is the characteristics of the health communicator. Both the expertise of communicators and the similarity of communicators to their audiences have been found to influence acceptance of health messages. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of both similarity and expertise on the nutrition behavior and attitudes of high school students. Results of the study indicate that the greater the perceived similarity of the communicator, the greater the influence of the communicator. The communicator perceived to be both low in similarity and high in expertise was the least influential communicator. School health educators need to consider their students perceptions in developing health programs. Health educators can enhance their influence by forming linkages with their students, ie, emphasizing common interests and experiences. By emphasizing their similarities with their students rather than expertise, school health educators are likely to increase their effectiveness.