Purpose

High dispositional optimism is often associated with people engaging in behaviour that has adverse effects on their health such as smoking. This study aims to investigate people’s intention to adopt preventive health behaviour by observing the effectiveness of anti-smoking ads during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies have been carried out, first with a UK sample and second with the US sample. The studies examined the effectiveness of anti-smoking ad (appeal: high fear vs low fear), smoking behaviour elicited perception of vulnerability to COVID-19 and dispositional optimism on lowering people’s urge to smoke.

Findings

The study findings revealed a high fear appeal ad is more effective in lowering people’s urge to smoke. However, this association is significantly mediated by perception of vulnerability to COVID-19. Further, high dispositional optimism was found to moderate the effect of the anti-smoking ad on the perception of vulnerability to COVID-19, although a comparatively smaller effect was observed for the UK sample. Finally, high dispositional optimism significantly moderated the mediation of vulnerability to COVID-19 on lower urge to smoke only for the US sample.

Originality/value

The study highlights a need for a greater collaborative effort by the public, government, firms in the business of nicotine replacement solutions, socially responsible cigarette and tobacco manufacturing firms and health agencies that may lead to increased preventive health behaviour during the ongoing pandemic.

中文翻译：

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感知到的对COVID-19的脆弱性，性格乐观和采取预防性健康行为的意图：一项反吸烟广告的实验

目的

高度乐观的乐观情绪通常与人们从事对吸烟等健康有不利影响的行为有关。这项研究旨在通过观察正在进行的冠状病毒（COVID-19）大流行期间的反吸烟广告的效果，来研究人们采取预防性健康行为的意图。

设计/方法/方法

已经进行了两项研究，第一项是英国样本，第二项是美国样本。这些研究检查了反吸烟广告（呼吁：高恐惧与低恐惧）的有效性，吸烟行为引起了人们对COVID-19脆弱性的感知以及对降低人们吸烟欲望的乐观态度。

发现

研究发现，高度恐惧的吸引力广告在降低人们吸烟的欲望方面更为有效。但是，这种关联是通过对COVID-19的脆弱性的感知来明显介导的。此外，尽管在英国样本中观察到相对较小的影响，但人们仍发现，较高的性格乐观情绪可以缓解反吸烟广告对COVID-19易感性的影响。最后，由于只针对美国样本的较低的吸烟欲望，高度的乐观态度显着缓解了对COVID-19脆弱性的介导。

创意/价值

该研究强调，公众，政府，从事尼古丁替代解决方案业务的公司，对社会负责任的卷烟和烟草制造公司以及卫生机构需要加大合作力度，这可能会导致在持续的大流行期间预防性健康行为的增加。