Gender differences in the induction of negative emotions by loss- versus gain-framed images accompanying a nutrition message

Health personnel’s preference for loss-framed health messages is attributed to occupational factors, but it could owe to gender. The majority of health workers are women, more susceptible to negative emotions than men. Here, we tested whether there are gender biases in processes whereby gain- and loss-framed messages induce negative emotions in the task of assessing a poster with nutritional recommendations to reduce risks associated with COVID-19. Using images of a smiling family indoors versus transportation of a coffin, we found among workers at a hospital in Lima, Peru that loss-frame, compared to gain-frame, robustly increased the negative emotions of women, but not those of men. Findings entailing positive emotions and adherence behavior are still needed to challenge the occupational interpretation.