Chinese Tourists’ Dengue-Related Fear and Protective Behaviors: A Protection Motivation Theory Approach
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Abstract
This research adopts an extended Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) framework to explore how international tourists perceive the health risk of dengue fever and engage in protective actions during their travels. Specifically, this research aims to examine the effects of PMT factors on fear and protection motivation related to dengue fever, as well as to assess the mediating role of fear. The proposed model integrates both cognitive components which are threat and coping appraisals, and the affective response of fear to provide a holistic explanation of tourists’ protection motivation. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 431 Chinese tourists at key tourist attractions in Phuket, Thailand. The survey captured core PMT constructs, including perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response efficacy, self-efficacy, response cost, fear of dengue fever, and protection motivation. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the interrelationships among these variables and to test the mediating role of fear. The analysis demonstrated that most hypothesized relationships were supported, confirming the applicability of PMT in predicting health-related behavioral intentions in tourism settings. Nevertheless, four hypotheses, including concerning perceived severity, response cost, response efficacy, and self-efficacy, were found to be non-significant, indicating that the influence of PMT components varies across emotional and motivational pathways. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.
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