Public Service Advertisements and Healthcare Attitudinal Changes in Developing Countries: Pakistanis’ Perspectives

Abstract

Still, little is known about the role and contribution of media ads in healthcare communication and awareness during the Covid-19 outbreak. This study examines the role of public service ads in spreading healthcare awareness in Pakistan. Based on a quantitative approach through a sample of n = 200 participants from the Sahiwal city, the study proposed a self-designed model that used the Structural Equation Modelling to affirm the proposed relationship between the variables. The study found that media ads were not only disseminating the Covid-19 awareness but also changing the public attitudes toward taking precautionary measures to halt the transmission of the disease. Hence, the findings indicated that public service advertisements have substantial, positive impacts on people’s perceptions and actions regarding the current pandemic. The results discussed media context and healthcare awareness to highlight further the role of such media in bringing positive behavioral changes.