Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and Bonding Social Capital to Examine Chinese Women’s Tampon Use Intentions

ABSTRACT

This study integrates the theory of planned behavior with a structural approach to examining social capital to investigate how bonding social capital affected Chinese women’s tampon use intentions. Bonding social capital was operationalized as network closure, which included two main dimensions: density and hierarchy. Results from an online survey (N = 766) showed that network density was positively associated with attitudes toward, social norms about, and perceived behavior control around tampon usage, while network hierarchy negatively predicted attitudes only. Moreover, the indirect effects of network density on tampon use intentions were mediated by descriptive norms and perceived behavior control. Examining women’s intentions to adopt a rarely used product in China, this study extended the theory of planned behavior into the realm of social capital in an understudied context. The findings provide practical implications for health communication practitioners in public education concerning feminine hygiene products and gynecological health.

Acknowledgments

The J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University, provided funding for this project. The authors would like to thank Dr. Sumana Chattopadhyay, Dr. Joyce Wolburg, Dr. Lynn Turner, three anonymous reviewers, and the editor for their precious comments on earlier versions of this paper.

Notes

1. According to China’s 2010 national population census, around 40% of Chinese people lived in northeastern China, more than 40% resided in southeastern China, around 10% lived in southwestern China, and less than 5% lived in northwestern China. Since some provinces are divided into different parts (e.g., Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi), the proportions were approximate.

2. The survey was created in English because the measures were built on previous research published in English. To enable participants to understand the survey, the questionnaire was translated and rigorously reviewed by bilingual graduate and undergraduate students, as well as a Chinese woman who did not attain higher education.

3. WeChat Pay is a popular and reliable tool for online payment in China.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Marquette University [N/A].