The Mediating Role of Health Behavioural Change between Knowledge and usage Optimisation to Utilize Public Health Services

Abstract

Global discourse on health affect primarily women, causing two in every three deaths among
women. Nevertheless, women are further likely than men to explore for knowledge relating to
“symptoms, treatments, disease and conditions and medication”. With regards to the context of
communication, the health sector utilizes social media for purposes such as behavioural change
management, disease prevention and management, online learning, online and symptom
reporting, outbreak management, pharmacy practice and education and professional
development. Accordingly, patients and health care providers uses Facebook to exchange
information, discuss health related issues, seek reviews from credible sources, participate in
support groups and online health forums, find people with similar health issues and join online
health forums. Prior scholars conceptualised that knowledge and health behavioural change is
precursor to optimisation to increase utilization of public health services. Precisely, health
behavioural change is expected to mediate the relationship between knowledge and usage
optimisation to utilize public health services. Nevertheless, not many empirical studies have
linked the concepts together. Thus, this study aims to investigate the influence of knowledge on
usage optimisation to utilize public health services with health behavioural change as a
mediator. Questionnaire survey was carried out among 240 female users of Ministry of Health
(MOH) Facebook platform in Malaysia. Results based on PLS-SEM indicated that health
behavioural change has a strong positive mediating effect on the knowledge-usage optimisation
to utilize public health services link. Recognizing the importance of women’s contribution to
society as well as consumers and benefactors of healthcare, the findings of this study can assist
to improve intervention efforts of MOH Malaysia in raising awareness amongst Malaysian
women. Thus, public health institutions must harness social media as its primary communication
as it offers unprecedented opportunities for increased participation and information awareness
for the well-being of communities and societies.