Factors Affecting Adherence to Governmental Health Warnings and the Case of Over-the- Counter Cough and Cold Medications (OTCCCM) in Children Under Two - Innovation and Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry - page 340

Chapter 12
Factors Affecting Adherence to Governmental
Health Warnings and the Case of Over-the-
Counter Cough and Cold Medications (OTC-
CCM) in Children Under Two
Talya Miron-Shatz , Glen M. Doniger , and Yaniv Hanoch
Abstract Governmental health agencies frequently issue warnings about new
health hazards (e.g., smoking and excessive drinking). This chapter discusses fac-
tors affecting adherence to governmental warnings against the use of household
products previously perceived safe. To be effective, a health warning must reach its
intended audience and bring about behavior modifi cation. This is challenging
because, in order to modify behavior, the warning message must counteract and
overpower the effect of habitual safe experience. Indeed the questions of how peo-
ple perceive such warnings, whether they adhere to them, and what promotes or
prevents adherence are central in marketing practice and research.
In this chapter, we review the psychological decision-making literature on trust of
the source issuing the warning and safe experience with the risk-causing agent. Next
we touch on basic requirements of awareness and understanding of the message. We
then review the marketing literature on message design, focusing on factors practical
for widespread implementation (i.e., vividness of message, one-sided vs. two-sided
messages, regulatory fi t). Next, based on behavioral decision research, we discuss
how to counteract cognitive and emotional consumer biases that may reduce adher-
ence. Finally, as a case in point, we evaluate adherence to the 2008 United States
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning against administration of over-the-
counter cough and cold medication (OTC-CCM) in children under age 2. We describe
the results of three studies that examine whether parents had heard about OTC-CCM
warnings and whether they intended to adhere to them. We conclude with recom-
mendations for optimizing the design and dissemination of similar warnings.
T. Miron-Shatz ( * )
Center for Medical Decision Making , Ono Academic College , Kiryat Ono , Israel
e-mail: [e-mail]
G. M. Doniger • Y. Hanoch
Department of Psychology , University of Plymouth , Plymouth , UK
e-mail: [e-mail]; [e-mail]