Campaign message exposure, audience segmentation, and protective behaviors in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Background

This study examined how the Risk Perception Attitude Framework (RPA) could be used to segment audiences in the COVID-19 prevention campaign in Vietnam. It investigated how the identified segments differed regarding staying at home and mask wearing behaviors and whether exposure to prevention messages via social media and mass media might predict the identified segments.

Method

A cross-sectional survey (N = 360) was administered online in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. The survey captured participants’ risk perceptions, efficacy beliefs, campaign message exposure, behavioral intention, and demographic variables. Two-step cluster analysis, analysis of variance, and multinominal regression were conducted.

Results

Three segments were identified for staying at home behavior (avoidance group, proactive group, and responsive group) and four segments were found for mask wearing behavior (avoidance group, proactive group, moderately responsive group, and highly responsive group). Results revealed that segment membership was associated with behavioral intention and exposure to COVID-19 prevention message via social media predicted the likelihood of participants belonging to the responsive group.

Conclusion

Data showed that segments differed significantly regarding behavioral intention and that exposure to social media prevention messages predicted the responsive group. Findings extended the RPA to a novel behavioral context, while providing useful implications for practitioners.

KEYWORDS:

• Risk perception
• efficacy
• audience segmentation
• social media
• COVID-19
• coronavirus

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the support of Dr. Long Nguyen (RMIT University Vietnam) and Dr. Khai Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh City Open University) for data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of RMIT University.

Financial disclosure

The author has no financial relationship relevant to this article to disclose.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hue Trong Duong

Hue T. Duong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Georgia State University. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Georgia, USA. Dr. Duong’s research focuses on health communication, social marketing, social influence, and media effects. Prior to academia, Dr. Duong worked with UNICEF and several international NGOs in community-based projects to support disadvantageous communities in Southeast Asia.