Interdisciplinary Examination of the Communication Effect of Herbal Product Advertisements Targeting Health Problems in Older Adults: The Role of Advertising and Health Literacy

Abstract

Aim: This study examines how health literacy and advertising literacy influence older adults' responses to herbal product advertisements that claim to solve health problems. Older adults (OAs) are increasingly exposed to misleading health-related messages through mass media, which may lead them to use unregulated and scientifically unproven products. Methods: A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was used with 237 older adults aged 65 years and over. In the quantitative phase, demographic data along with health literacy and advertising literacy scores were collected. Participants then viewed advertisements containing health claims. In the qualitative phase, their recall of ad content, attitudes toward the claims, and purchase intentions were assessed. Descriptive, comparative, and correlational analyses were performed; open-ended responses were evaluated with thematic analysis. Results: OAs' health literacy was at a problematic-limited level (25.22 +/- 8.77), whereas advertising literacy was moderate (91.07 +/- 10.72). Higher health literacy was associated with more negative attitudes toward health claims (p = 0.004). Higher advertising literacy was positively associated with purchase intention (p < 0.001). Qualitatively, the most frequently recalled element was the health claim, and the most frequently mentioned word was pain. Conclusions: As health literacy improves, older adults become more skeptical of health-claim advertisements; however, persuasive ad elements may still evoke purchase intentions. These findings underscore the need for interventions to enhance advertising and health literacy to protect elderly health.