Abstract
This study was an investigation of the effectiveness of fear appeals on the adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures among boda boda riders in the Nairobi County, Kenya. The problem of the study was that little or no research has been conducted on fear appeals and adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures, hence a gap that demands specific studies to be undertaken to fill it. This study draws from the Health Belief Model (HBM). Case study research design was used because the study focused only on boda boda riders operating in the seventeen constituencies in Nairobi County. Convenience sampling was used to identify the riders who were available and willing to participate in the study. The main data collection tool was telephone interviews. Findings of this study revealed that fear appeals were effective in making boda boda riders in Nairobi County adopt the COVID-19 preventive measures. The boda boda riders’ felt that they were susceptible to the coronavirus disease, police arrests, fourteen days mandatory quarantine, motorcycles being impounded and payment of fines, if they did not adopt the COVID-19 preventive measures. Moreover, the riders believed that the virus posed a more serious threat to their health and lives. The operators perceived susceptibility to the threats, elicited high levels of fear. The COVID-19 preventive measures, also, provided the riders with an effective method of changing behavior which they believe will protect them from contracting the virus. This study recommended that in order to motivate the boda boda riders to continue practicing the COVID-19 preventive measures, the government should frequently give the riders masks and hand sanitizers. Further, more communication campaigns should be developed and conducted on COVID-19 awareness and prevention among boda boda riders.
Highlights
The tactic of using fear-based messages to make people change their behavior and protect them from lifethreatening situations, is a popular persuasive strategy that has been practiced for many years, all over the world
The results indicated that highly threatening fear appeals, were more effective when combined with a strong efficacy message emphasizing the effectiveness of the recommended behavior
The design was appropriate because the study sought to investigate the efficacy of fear appeals on the adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures among boda boda riders in Nairobi County
Summary
The tactic of using fear-based messages to make people change their behavior and protect them from lifethreatening situations, is a popular persuasive strategy that has been practiced for many years, all over the world. Efficacy of Fear Appeals on Adoption of Covid-19 Preventive Measures: A Case of Boda Boda Riders in Nairobi County, Kenya (shock advertising/ shockvertising) and won awards for heightening public awareness about social issues. This approach, in turn, inspired public health campaigns such as road safety, AIDS prevention and anti-smoking. The use of the fear appeals in the form of threatening health messages, is commonly used as a strategy for health promotion, disease prevention and adoption of behavior within a population (Brown & Whiting, 2014; Simpson, 2017; Sweene & Stephens, 2013). According to Kelly (2000) many of the diseases that cause premature illness and death, such as, cancer, heart diseases and AIDS, can be prevented if people change their behavior to reduce their risk of contracting the illness
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