Examining the Impact of Virtual Health Influencers on Young Adults’ Willingness to Engage in Liver Cancer Prevention: Insights from Parasocial Relationship Theory

Donghwa Chung, Jiaqi Wang () and Yanfang Meng
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Donghwa Chung: School of Journalism and Communication, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Jiaqi Wang: School of Journalism and Communication, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Yanfang Meng: School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Beijing 102699, China

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: The emergence of virtual influencers and AI doctors has significantly increased the attention of Chinese users, especially their health awareness and cancer health literacy. In our current study, guided by parasocial relationship theory, we examined the psychological antecedents that influence Chinese young adults’ willingness to engage in liver cancer prevention. Specifically, we aimed to examine the mediated mechanism of reduced unrealistic optimism within this relationship. A total of 252 respondents participated in this study, and the valid data were analyzed using hierarchical regression and mediation analysis to test our hypotheses. The results demonstrated three positive correlations between psychological factors (including perceived severity, parasocial relationship, and response efficacy) and Chinese young adults’ willingness to engage in liver cancer prevention. Furthermore, we found that reduced unrealistic optimism mediated these relationships. These findings provide valuable practical insights for Chinese health departments and experts to develop effective health campaign strategies that utilize multiple media platforms for optimal promotion.

Keywords: virtual health influencer; parasocial relationship; unrealistic optimism; liver cancer prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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