Consumers’ Attitudes and Behavior Toward Prescription Drug Advertising

Nithima Sumpradit, MA; Stuart W. Fors, EdD; Laura McCormick, DrPH

Objective: To explore how consumers’ characteristics interact with direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) to influence 2 behaviors: information seeking and asking for prescription. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using a subset of 1,102 consumers who responded to a 1998 national survey conducted by Prevention magazine. Results: Being afflicted with chronic conditions and having positive attitudes toward DTCA were associated with the consumers’ willingness to talk with doctors about the advertised drugs. Consumers who asked for prescriptions tended to agree that DTCA made prescription drugs appear harmless and helped them make their own decision. Conclusion: DTCA appears to have an influence on consumers’ behavior.
Am J Health Behav 2002;26(1):68-75