MARKETING, HEALTH LITERACY, AND THE USE OF MELASMA AND FRECKLE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PRODUCTS

Abstract

The research goals of this study were to identify the association between marketing and health literacy and the use of products to prevent and treat melasma and freckles among working-age women in northeast Thailand. One thousand one hundred forty-three working-age women were randomly selected using multistage sampling from 4 provinces in northeast Thailand to participate in a self-administered structured questionnaire. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) evaluated the associations between product use and the studied factors. The majority of respondents (59.49%; 95% CI = 50.09 – 62.33) were current users of these products. Factors associated with product use were adequate to excellent health literacy (adj OR = 2.88, 95% CI = 2.51-3.42, p < 0.001), product marketing (adj OR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.59-2.84, p < 0.001), presence of freckles (adj OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.53-2.79, p < 0.001), and melasma (adj OR = 2.05: 95%CI = 1.52-2.67, p < 0.001). The other significant covariates were age 30-44 years (adj OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.78-2.81, p < 0.001), having a bachelor’s degree or higher (adj. OR = 2.03, 95%CI = 1.61-2.11, p 0.005), and average monthly income > 15,000 THB (adj. OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.60-2.91, p < 0.001). About sixty percent of working-age women were current users of melasma and freckle prevention/treatment products. Health literacy and product marketing were positively associated with product use. Other associated factors were facial skin conditions, age, education level, and income. The study findings provide pertinent information to policymakers and the community about implementing educational health literacy programs.