The antecedents of preventive health care behavior: An empirical study

A conceptual model of preventive health care behavior is proposed and tested. Results suggest that preventive health care behaviors are strongly influenced by the value consumers perceive in engaging in such actions. This value is greatly affected by response efficacy, or the person’s belief that a specific action will mitigate the health threat. A separate consideration affecting adherence to a prescribed preventive health care behavior is self-efficacy, or the person’s belief that the target behaviors can be enacted. Additionally, health motivation and health consciousness are also shown to influence preventive health care behaviors. Future research directions and managerial implications of the findings are outlined. Rama K. Jayanti (Ph.D., Louisiana State University) is an assistant professor of marketing, James J. Nance College of Business, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio. Her primary research interests include services marketing and consumer behavior. She has published articles inJournal of Health Care Marketing; Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior; andJournal of Professional Services Marketing. Alvin C. Burns is a professor of marketing and department chairman at Louisiana State University. His articles have appeared in publications such as theJournal of Marketing Research, Journal of Health Care Marketing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, andAsian Journal of Marketing. Burns belongs to the American Marketing Association, the Association for Consumer Research, and the Association for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning. He is the lead author ofMarketing Research (Prentice Hall, 1995).