The Determinants of Panic Buying during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an unmatched level of panic buying globally, a type of herd behavior whereby consumers buy an uncommonly huge amount of products because of a perception of scarcity. Drawing on the health belief model, perceived scarcity, and anticipated regret theories, this paper formulated a theoretical model that linked the determinants of panic buying and analyzed their interrelationships. Subsequently, data were collated from 508 consumers through an online survey questionnaire in Singapore that was conducted during the early stage of the pandemic, before the onset of the circuit breaker in April 2020. Next, an analysis of the results was done through structural equation modeling. It showed that the effect of the health belief model dimensions (i.e., perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, outcome expectation, cues to action, and self-efficacy) on panic buying is partially mediated by the consumers’ perceived scarcity of products. Furthermore, the effect of perceived scarcity on panic buying is partially mediated by consumers’ anticipation of regret. This paper expands on the current theoretical understanding of panic buying behavior, giving insights into the possible measures and solutions that policymakers and relevant stakeholders can uptake to manage panic buying in future a pandemic or health crisis.

Download Full-text

Exploring the Effects of Product Knowledge, Trust, and Distrust in the Health Belief Model to Predict Attitude Toward Dietary Supplements

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/21582440211068855 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 215824402110688

Author(s):

Shian-Yang Tzeng ◽

Tzu-Ya Ho

Keyword(s):

Health Belief Model ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Health Belief ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Product Knowledge ◽

Perceived Susceptibility ◽

Moderation Model ◽

Belief Model ◽

The Health Belief Model

Although the health belief model (HBM) has been widely applied in health behavior research, it cannot fully account for dietary supplement (DS) consumption. This study proposed a second-stage moderation model to empirically examine the mediating role of product knowledge and the moderating effects of trust and distrust in the HBM. Surveys were conducted both online and offline in first-tier Chinese cities; 768 effective samples were collected. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that perceived susceptibility was a better predictor of attitude toward DS products. Second, perceived susceptibility’s effect on product attitude occurred through product knowledge. Third, trust in manufacturers positively affected product knowledge’s effect on product attitude. Based on these findings, to promote DS consumption, marketers can leverage consumers’ perceived susceptibility to illness, associate the benefits and efficacy of DSs with consumers’ health knowledge, and emphasize their production of high-quality DSs.

Download Full-text

Social Distancing, Health Concerns, and Digitally Empowered Consumption Behavior Under COVID-19: A Study on Livestream Shopping Technology

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.748048 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Qiwei Pang ◽

Haiyang Meng ◽

Mingjie Fang ◽

Jingjing Xing ◽

Jinge Yao

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Intention ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Health Belief ◽

Consumer Trust ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Perceived Severity ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Belief Model ◽

The Impact ◽

The Health Belief Model

During the COVID-19 pandemic, livestream shopping has provided consumers with a way to maintain social distancing while offering an alternative to offline shopping. This study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 and other public health crises on the behavioral intentions of consumers using livestream shopping technology. A theoretical model was designed that combines the health belief model, trust theory, and the theory of planned behavior. Empirical data were collected from 358 residents in China and then analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived obstacles had a significant impact on consumer trust. Consumer trust in turn had a direct impact on behavioral intention and an indirect impact on behavioral intention via attitude. These research results have practical implications for livestream shopping merchants, platform decision-makers, and service designers.

Download Full-text

Explaining the Role of Health Belief Model Constructs On Physical Puberty Health Among Teen Girls: Structural Equation Modeling

Women’s Health Bulletin ◽

10.17795/whb-23873 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shayesteh Shirzadi ◽

Parinaz Doshmangir ◽

Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation Modeling ◽

Health Belief Model ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Health Belief ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Belief Model

Download Full-text

Adoption of a Contact Tracing App for Containing COVID-19: A Health Belief Model Approach (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.20572 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michel Walrave ◽

Cato Waeterloos ◽

Koen Ponnet

Keyword(s):

Health Belief Model ◽

Digital Media ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Health Belief ◽

Health Condition ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Perceived Benefits ◽

Belief Model

BACKGROUND To track and reduce the spread of COVID-19, apps have been developed to identify contact with individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and warn those who are at risk of having contracted the virus. However, the effectiveness of these apps depends highly on their uptake by the general population. OBJECTIVE The present study investigated factors influencing app use intention, based on the health belief model. In addition, associations with respondents’ level of news consumption and their health condition were investigated. METHODS A survey was administered in Flanders, Belgium, to 1500 respondents, aged 18 to 64 years. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate relationships across the model’s constructs. RESULTS In total, 48.70% (n=730) of respondents indicated that they intend to use a COVID-19 tracing app. The most important predictor was the perceived benefits of the app, followed by self-efficacy and perceived barriers. Perceived severity and perceived susceptibility were not related to app uptake intention. Moreover, cues to action (ie, individuals’ exposure to [digital] media content) were positively associated with app use intention. As the respondents’ age increased, their perceived benefits and self-efficacy for app usage decreased. CONCLUSIONS Initiatives to stimulate the uptake of contact tracing apps should enhance perceived benefits and self-efficacy. A perceived barrier for some potential users is privacy concerns. Therefore, when developing and launching an app, clarification on how individuals’ privacy will be protected is needed. To sustain perceived benefits in the long run, supplementary options could be integrated to inform and assist users.

Download Full-text

Factors Leading Municipal Authorities to Implement Preventive Interventions for Lyme Disease

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16091547 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. 1547 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Johann Jacob ◽

Pierre Valois ◽

Cécile Aenishaenslin ◽

Catherine Bouchard ◽

Sandie Briand ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Belief ◽

Preventive Interventions ◽

Disease Response ◽

Behavior Change Interventions ◽

Belief Model ◽

The Health Belief Model

The aim of this study is to document climate change adaptation interventions targeting Lyme disease at the municipal level in the province of Quebec (Canada). This exploratory study relies on the theory of planned behavior and certain constructs from the health belief model to identify the factors leading municipal authorities to implement preventive interventions for Lyme disease (PILD). Data were obtained from an online survey sent, during the summer of 2018, to municipal officers in 820 municipalities in Quebec, in all health regions where the population is at risk of contracting Lyme disease (response rate = 36%). The questionnaire was used to measure the implementation of PILD, the intention to implement these interventions, attitudes, perceived social pressure, perceived control (levers and barriers) over interventions, perceived effectiveness of preventive measures, risk, and perceived vulnerability. Results of structural equation analyses showed that attitudes were significantly associated with municipal authorities’ intention to implement PILD, while the intention to implement PILD was a significant predictor of the implementation of PILD. Additional analyses showed that perceived barriers added a moderating effect in the intention-implementation relationship. The prediction of behaviors or practices that municipal authorities could implement to prevent Lyme disease will enable the evaluation over time of the evolution of Quebec municipalities’ adaptation to Lyme disease. Moreover, the examination of the associations of specific psychosocial factors revealed important implications for the design of effective behavior-change interventions, which would allow health officials doing awareness work to create personalized interventions better suited to municipal officers and their specific contexts.

Download Full-text

The Health Belief Model Predicts Intention to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: Results from a Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9080864 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 864

Author(s):

Ilias Mahmud ◽

Russell Kabir ◽

Muhammad Aziz Rahman ◽

Angi Alradie-Mohamed ◽

Divya Vinnakota ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Belief Model ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Belief ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Belief Model ◽

To Receive ◽

The Health Belief Model

We examined the intention and predictors of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a nation-wide, cross-sectional online survey between February and March 2021. A total of 1387 people (≥18 years) participated. Only 27.3% adults had a definite and 30.2% had a probable vaccination intent; 26.8% and 15.6% had a probable and definite negative vaccination intent. Older people (≥50 years) (p < 0.01), healthcare workers/professionals (p < 0.001), and those who received flu vaccine (p < 0.001) were more likely to have a positive intent. People from Riyadh were less likely to receive the vaccine (p < 0.05). Among the health belief model constructs, perceived susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19 (p < 0.001), and perceived benefit of the vaccine (p < 0.001) were positively associated with vaccination intent, whereas perceived barriers had a negative association (p < 0.001). Individuals were more likely to receive the vaccine after obtaining complete information (p < 0.001) and when the vaccine uptake would be more common amongst the public (p < 0.001).

Download Full-text

Using the Health Belief Model to design a questionnaire aimed at measuring people's perceptions regarding COVID-19 immunity certificates

10.1101/2021.11.12.21266257 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Corina Elena Niculaescu ◽

Isabel Karen Sassoon ◽

Irma Cecilia Landa-Avila ◽

Ozlem Colak ◽

Gyuchan Thomas Jun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Belief Model ◽

Online Survey ◽

Methodological Approach ◽

Health Belief ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Perceived Severity ◽

The Uk ◽

Belief Model ◽

The Health Belief Model

The present short communication paper describes the methodological approach of applying the Health Belief Model to the use COVID-19 immunity certificates in the UK. We designed an online survey including an adaptation of the following Health Belief Model constructs: perceived COVID-19 susceptibility, perceived COVID-19 severity, perceived benefits of using immunity certificates, perceived barriers from using immunity certificates, perceived severity of not using immunity certificates, and perceived vaccination views. The online cross-sectional survey conducted on the 3rd of August 2021 gathered responses from 534 participants aged 18 and older, representative of the UK population in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity.

Download Full-text

Does Seeing What Others Do Through Social Media Influence Vaccine Uptake and Help in the Herd Immunity Through Vaccination? A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.715931 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Abrar Al-Hasan ◽

Jiban Khuntia ◽

Dobin Yim

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Health Belief Model ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Belief ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Probit Regression ◽

Media Usage ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Belief Model ◽

The Health Belief Model

Widespread acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination is the next major step in fighting the pandemic. However, significant variations are observed in the willingness to take the vaccination by citizens across different countries. Arguably, differences in vaccination intentions will be influenced by beliefs around vaccines to influence health. Often perceptions of what others are doing and the information available guide individuals' behaviors for vaccination. This is more so in the digital age with the influence of the internet and media. This study aims to determine the factors that impact willingness to vaccinate for COVID-19. We examined factors associated with acceptance of vaccine based on (1) constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM), (2) sources of information, (3) social media usage, (4) knowledge of COVID-19 treatment, and (5) perception of government's efforts for mitigation. Randomly sampled online survey data was collected by a global firm between December 2020 and January 2021 from 372 citizens (with a response rate of 96.6%) from multiple regions, including North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Ordered probit regression suggests that the health belief model constructs hold. Perceived severity of COVID-19 (P < 0.001) and action cues of others taking the vaccine positively influences a subject's vaccine intent (P < 0.001), perceived benefits and perceived efficacy of the vaccine positively influences a subject's vaccine intent (P < 0.001). Perceived barriers negatively influence vaccine intent (P < 0.001). Interestingly as for media usage, mainstream media (e.g., TV, newspaper) (P = 0.006) and social media (P = 0.013) both negatively influence a subject's vaccine intent. Social media platforms that are more entertainment and social-based, such as Whatsapp, Instagram, and YouTube, have a negative and significant influence on vaccine intent (P = 0.061), compared to other more information-based social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn). Knowledge of COVID-19 treatment positively influences vaccine intent (P = 0.023). Lastly, governmental efforts' perceived reliability in mitigation strategy (P = 0.028) and response efforts (P = 0.004) negatively influence vaccine intent. The study highlights the “wait-and-see” action cue from others and leaders in the community. It also informs the importance of shaping media information for vaccination through informative media and social media outlets to counteract any misinformation.

Download Full-text

Adoption of a Contact Tracing App for Containing COVID-19: A Health Belief Model Approach

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance ◽

10.2196/20572 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. e20572 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Michel Walrave ◽

Cato Waeterloos ◽

Koen Ponnet

Keyword(s):

Health Belief Model ◽

Digital Media ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Health Belief ◽

Health Condition ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Perceived Benefits ◽

Belief Model

Background To track and reduce the spread of COVID-19, apps have been developed to identify contact with individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and warn those who are at risk of having contracted the virus. However, the effectiveness of these apps depends highly on their uptake by the general population. Objective The present study investigated factors influencing app use intention, based on the health belief model. In addition, associations with respondents’ level of news consumption and their health condition were investigated. Methods A survey was administered in Flanders, Belgium, to 1500 respondents, aged 18 to 64 years. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate relationships across the model’s constructs. Results In total, 48.70% (n=730) of respondents indicated that they intend to use a COVID-19 tracing app. The most important predictor was the perceived benefits of the app, followed by self-efficacy and perceived barriers. Perceived severity and perceived susceptibility were not related to app uptake intention. Moreover, cues to action (ie, individuals’ exposure to [digital] media content) were positively associated with app use intention. As the respondents’ age increased, their perceived benefits and self-efficacy for app usage decreased. Conclusions Initiatives to stimulate the uptake of contact tracing apps should enhance perceived benefits and self-efficacy. A perceived barrier for some potential users is privacy concerns. Therefore, when developing and launching an app, clarification on how individuals’ privacy will be protected is needed. To sustain perceived benefits in the long run, supplementary options could be integrated to inform and assist users.

Download Full-text