Understanding the Public’s Intentions to Purchase and to Persuade Others to Purchase Antibiotic-Free Meat

Abstract

Extending the effectiveness of media-based campaigns into interpersonal networks has been a long concern for studies on persuasive messages, yet there is much to understand about why people attempt to persuade others to engage in health-related behaviors. This study investigated two alternative predictors of interpersonal persuasion: psychosocial determinants of behavior and homophily. We used the integrated model of behavior (IMB) to predict consumers’ intentions to purchase antibiotic-free meat, and extended the model to predict consumers’ intentions to encourage important others to do so. IMB variables predicted 44% of future purchasing intentions and 40% of future persuasion intentions. The findings support a homophily explanation for persuasion: people intend to persuade important others to do what they do. In addition, a person-centered analysis identified three audience segments based on antibiotic-resistance-related behaviors, cognitions, and experiences: Purchasers, Resisters, and New Adopters. The covariate analysis revealed that people who had more topic awareness of antibiotic use in animal husbandry, knowledge of someone with an antibiotic-resistant infection, and health mavenism were more likely to be Purchasers than Resisters or New Adopters. Anxiety, however, was highest among New Adopters and lowest among Resisters. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Consumer perceptions of antimicrobial use in animal husbandry: A scoping review

“…A high-knowledge consumer does not necessarily know specific information about antibiotic regimes and their role in animal production. Indeed, the components of antibiotic use that consumers were asked about in these studies were very basic, such as if they know what antibiotics are [ 41 , 42 ]. Instead, “knowledge” can mean that a consumer understands the rules of thumb that labels provide, or has a general understanding of what antibiotics are, and how they are used in our food systems.…”

Consumers' perceptions and willingness to purchase pork labelled ‘raised without antibiotics’

“…In relation to consumers' purchase intentions, various other studies have similarly found that such perceptions determine purchasing behaviour (Lobb et al, 2007;Stefani et al, 2008;Kapuge, 2016;Smith et al, 2017). Stefani et al (2008) found that risk perception was an important determinant of attitude and related to intention to purchase chicken, and similarly, Kapuge (2016) identified that there was a significant impact of health consciousness on purchase intention of organic food among Sri Lankan consumers.…”

“…Stefani et al (2008) found that risk perception was an important determinant of attitude and related to intention to purchase chicken, and similarly, Kapuge (2016) identified that there was a significant impact of health consciousness on purchase intention of organic food among Sri Lankan consumers. In relation to antibiotic research specifically, Smith et al (2017) uncovered that those who had higher concerns for AMR (i.e., personal risk perception) likely have limited knowledge, which may have prompted them to report negative views towards antimicrobial use in food animal production and, consequently, about intending to purchase antibiotic free meat.…”

“…Furthermore, information should be provided to assure the public about food safety yet provide education of zoonotic diseases and possible routes of transmission, and where appropriate, kitchen hygiene and sufficient cooking to lessen the risk of infection, regardless of how the animal was raised (Smith et al, 2017). In relation to food labelling, particularly regarding the 'raised without antibiotics' label, we suggest that more transparency is provided to consumers.…”

The Emergence of Risk Communication Networks and the Development of Citizen Health-Related Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Selection and Contagion Processes

“…Now, we move to the last but critical mechanism regarding the mutual adjustment of the voluntary adoption of public health measures or subjective health perceived by both connected citizens. In a context in which individuals with distinct levels of countermeasures adopted for health protection or self-reported health are linked to each other for health communication during this pandemic, each citizen's acceptance of public health preventive measures or subjective health may be adapted to and influenced by those of their risk communication partners [36][37][38]. Through a social contagion or reciprocal influence process mediated by repeated connections for discussions on health risk over time among them, citizens' individual adoption of public health preventive measures or self-evaluation of health may spread through the previously established ties for risk discourses and then lead to the convergence of these properties toward a specific level [21,36].…”