Beyond Health Beliefs: The Role of Social Media Perceptions and Digital Communicative Behaviours in Dengue Preventive Intentions
Abstract
Dengue fever remains a significant public health threat, particularly in densely populated urban areas where transmission risks are heightened. This study examines the impact of health-related beliefs, social media perceptions, and digital communicative behaviours on preventive behavioural intentions in dengue-affected communities. Data were collected during the Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that intensified public engagement with digital health information. A cross-sectional online survey (N = 384) was analysed utilising partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that while health-related beliefs exert a modest direct influence on preventive intentions, they do not significantly predict digital communicative behaviours. In contrast, social media perceptions, comprising platform credibility, informational norms, and user efficacy, serve as the most significant factors, directly and indirectly driving preventive intentions through communicative engagement. The model explains 49.5 percent of the variance in preventive intentions and 28.5 percent in communicative behaviours, confirming strong predictive relevance. Theoretically, the study extends the Health Belief Model (HBM) by integrating cognitive determinants within the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) framework, illustrating that communicative engagement and media perceptions are crucial mediators between belief and behaviour. This integration highlights a platform-first approach in health communication, emphasising the pivotal role of social media in influencing preventive behaviours. Practically, the findings underscore the need to build trust, reinforce informational norms, and strengthen digital efficacy in future public health campaigns.
Keywords: Dengue prevention, health communication, social media perceptions, digital communicative behaviours, preventive behavioural intention.
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