Perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, dispositional optimism and intention to adopt preventive health behaviour: an experiment with anti-smoking advertising

Purpose High dispositional optimism is often associated with people engaging in behaviour that has adverse effects on their health such as smoking. This study aims to investigate people’s intention to adopt preventive health behaviour by observing the effectiveness of anti-smoking ads during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Two studies have been carried out, first with a UK sample and second with the US sample. The studies examined the effectiveness of anti-smoking ad (appeal: high fear vs low fear), smoking behaviour elicited perception of vulnerability to COVID-19 and dispositional optimism on lowering people’s urge to smoke. Findings The study findings revealed a high fear appeal ad is more effective in lowering people’s urge to smoke. However, this association is significantly mediated by perception of vulnerability to COVID-19. Further, high dispositional optimism was found to moderate the effect of the anti-smoking ad on the perception of vulnerability to COVID-19, although a comparatively smaller effect was observed for the UK sample. Finally, high dispositional optimism significantly moderated the mediation of vulnerability to COVID-19 on lower urge to smoke only for the US sample. Originality/value The study highlights a need for a greater collaborative effort by the public, government, firms in the business of nicotine replacement solutions, socially responsible cigarette and tobacco manufacturing firms and health agencies that may lead to increased preventive health behaviour during the ongoing pandemic.

Development and preliminary validation of the physician support of skin self-examination scale

Skin self-examination (SSE) is a crucial preventive health behaviour in melanoma survivors, as it facilitates early detection. Physician endorsement of SSE is important for the initiation and maintenance of this behaviour. This study focussed on the preliminary validation of a new nine-item measure assessing physician support of SSE in melanoma patients. English and French versions of this measure were administered to 188 patients diagnosed with melanoma in the context of a longitudinal study investigating predictors and facilitators of SSE. Structural validity was investigated using exploratory factor analysis conducted in Mplus and convergent and divergent validity was assessed using bivariate correlations conducted in spss. Results suggest that the scale is a unidimensional and reliable measure of physician support for SSE. Given the uncertainty regarding the optimal frequency of SSE for at-risk individuals, we recommend that future psychometric evaluations of this scale consider tailoring items according to the most up-to-date research on SSE effectiveness.

SIAPA YANG MENGAMBIL MANFAAT DARI PELAYANAN KIA DI INDONESIA TIMUR? ANALISIS DATA SDH 1991*

Maternaland Child Health (MCH) program has been an important national policy measure to prevent child death and to promote child health. In consideration of government restricted budget, the size of and spreadity of Indonesian population, government has provided at least one health center for every subdistrict and has promoted community participation through community based health post to reach the out reach population. This study seeks to explore community's utilization of this program and assesses whether the program has reached the priotity target groups such as the children with uneducated mothers and lower economic status. The 1991 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey data is used and sampel of 860 children of 12-23 month old from eastern Indonesiaisthe focus of analysis. Logistic regression is used as multivariate analysis. The resultshows that the MCH program seems to have solved accessibility problem of economic constraint, however, contrary to the high priority groups being targeted, lower educated mothers use less services than those of more educated. This may be associated with lack of appropriate local conceptual framework in understanding preventive health behaviour among uneducated mothers and less progressive efforts in enforcing the need for social participation from the uneducated mothers.