The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of consumers’ prescription drug advertising (DTCA) skepticism on their advertising evaluation. In addition, the study…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of consumers’ prescription drug advertising (DTCA) skepticism on their advertising evaluation. In addition, the study investigates the moderating role of health risk information location in DTCA and the mediating role of perceived message effectiveness to address when and how the skepticism effects are maximized or minimized.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a controlled lab experiment to enhance internal validity.
Findings
This study found that when risk information was presented earlier in a more prominent manner, it appeared to reduce the DTCA skepticism effects. In contrast, the DTCA skepticism effects remained considerable when benefit information was presented earlier.
Research limitations/implications
The artificial nature of the controlled lab setting suggests conducting future research in a more natural setting using various therapeutic and product categories to enhance ecological and external validity.
Practical implications
Pharmaceutical marketers could reduce consumers’ DTCA skepticism effects on their advertising evaluation by using situational message strategies. The prominence of health risk disclosure could be one of such strategies.
Social implications
The FDA’s industry guidance for DTCA risk communication suggests that the location of risk information in the ad may play an important role in determining its prominence. However, little is known about how complying with the FDA’s risk communication guidance by presenting a more prominent risk disclosure can affect consumers’ ad evaluation by affecting the DTCA skepticism effects. The current study provides empirical evidence for the importance of the health risk disclosure prominence.
Originality/value
Because the FDA’s release of the DTCA risk communication guidance, little empirical research has been conducted to examine a wide range of situational message factors that may affect consumers’ response to DTCA risk communication. The current study filled the gap in the literature by addressing the interplay between consumer and message factors in the DTCA context.
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The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of prescription drug advertising health risk disclosure prominence and the mediating role of introspective message attention.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of prescription drug advertising health risk disclosure prominence and the mediating role of introspective message attention.
Design/methodology/approach
An experiment was conducted to test varying levels of health risk disclosure prominence in prescription drug advertising (high vs low).
Findings
The results showed that a more prominent health risk disclosure than a less prominent one enhanced introspective message attention, risk knowledge and risk perception of the drug’s side effects. In addition, the introspective attention mediated the health risk disclosure effects on risk knowledge and risk perception.
Research limitations/implications
The artificial experimental setting should be considered. In addition, various therapeutic categories and health risk disclosure formats need to be examined.
Practical implications
To ensure fair balance in prescription drug advertising, message designers should present a sufficient level of health risk disclosure prominence.
Social implications
To encourage consumers to make informed prescription drug decisions, health risk information provided through prescription drug advertising may be important. Health-marketing promotional messages should address fair balance by considering health risk disclosure prominence.
Originality/value
Although the FDA has issued its risk communication guidance draft for pharmaceutical manufacturers to ensure fair balance between benefit and risk information in pharmaceutical promotion, little empirical research has been conducted to test the health risk disclosure prominence effects on consumers’ health-related perception about the drug. This study fills the gap in the literature.
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Keywords
Gourab De, Himanshu Joshi, Neena Sondhi and Ayona Bhattacharjee
Preventive health-care behavior (PHB) adoption as a primordial prevention to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle disease risk is a global trend. This paper aims to use the PHB model…
Abstract
Purpose
Preventive health-care behavior (PHB) adoption as a primordial prevention to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle disease risk is a global trend. This paper aims to use the PHB model and stimulus-organism-response theory to empirically examine the role of individual and technological factors in influencing primordial PHB.
Design/methodology/approach
A sequential mixed-method was adopted to identify the primordial PHB adoption and propose a conceptual framework. The identified determinants and the hypothesized relationships were empirically tested using a convenience sample of 406 urban Indians. Partial least square structural equation modeling is used for data analysis.
Findings
The derived conceptual framework was empirically tested to assess the role of health literacy (HL), health value (HV) and digital health information seeking (DHIS) on primordial PHB. Findings confirmed the significant influence of DHIS on HL, HL on HV and PHB and HV on PHB. The direct effects of DHIS on PHB and HV were insignificant. HL solely mediated the indirect effect of DHIS on PHB, while the mediation of HV was insignificant. HL and HV fully mediated the relationship between DHIS and PHB.
Research limitations/implications
The impact of DHIS on PHB adoption and the serial multiple mediating roles of HL and HV are significant in understanding primordial PHB adoption for both academic theory and practice. However, the cross-sectional study on urban Indians needs further validation across geographies.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this pioneering study is among the first to propose and validate a comprehensive model of primordial PHB adoption.