Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 4. No. 1. February, 1988.
AVERTISEMENT, TELEVISION HEALTH PROPAGANDA AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A COGNITIVE BASE FOR HEALTH ACTION
AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS
By
O.O. OYERINDE
Abstract
The paper discussed the educative values of advertisement/Television health
propaganda, (A.TV.H.P,} especially as they affect and influence college students' market
values towards health related products. Equally, the paper tested students' knowledge of nonprescription health items as acquired through A. TV.H.P.
It was found that students' knowledge of non-prescription health items is influenced by
A.TV.H.P. However, A.TV.H.P. do not represent a major influencing factor in creating a
cognitive base for Health action among college students. Very significant factors identified
by the study population as influencing factors in creating a cognitive base for health action are
parents, health education, doctors/nurses, and consumer education. All of the four factors
rank highest in that order.
Based on these findings, it was concluded that A.TV.H.P. form, at its best, a very
important tool for distribution of health information. However, at its worst, A.TV.H.P. can be a
source of conflicting values, misinformation and a tool for developing poor health habits.
It was recommended among others that health educators must work in conjunction
with advertisement promoters, industrial public relation officers and T. V. producers in
order to provide the public with information which is correct and that will encourage good
health value judgment.
Introduction
The fact that the introduction of Television (T.V.) was met with welcome in Nigeria
has been adequately treated. The welcome cut across National population, college students
inclusive (Chemkalong 1978). He further stressed that from the health educators' point of
view, this introduction is a living tool for health education programmes, advertisements and
health propaganda. However, most people are confronted with the problem of making
decisions regarding health, maintenance because of the high number of confusing array of nonprescription advertisements and health advice on T.V. which also makes thoughtful
judgment difficult.
Apart from T.V., other conditions complexing decision-making on health1 Consumption
among college students and the larger population includes failure of students to
seek professional care because of the time spent at waiting for the consultant, rear that
their minor problems will be scoffed or fear of being given depressant pills to lure them to
rest and sleep especially during examination periods (Anderson 1970, Richard et al. 1973). In
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Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 4. No. 1. February, 1988.
addition, it is easy to suspect that peer and parents' pressure play significant roles in
influencing the need for consumer health products as well as influencing the type of product
finally chosen among college Students.
The writer holds the strong view that college students constitute a good proportion of
the general public that consume health products and who have to make cognitive decisions
about health related items. This is because college students lay emphasis on appearance
(cosmetics), freedom from diseases, vitality and social interaction. The awareness to consume
and take positive health action is also great among this category of the general populace
(Mcmahon, 1973). The specific study problems emanating from this situation was to
determine the influence of advertisement/T.V. health propaganda on the development of
college students' cognitive base for health action. The study also sought to examine the
suspicion that college students are involved in self diagnosis and treatment of various health
conditions resulting from the confidence and awareness of available health products gained
from and created by listening to advertisements and watching television health propaganda
Assumptions
Its was assumed that advertisements/T.V. health propaganda influence college
students' cognitive base for health action and choice selection. Also, it was assumed that
advertisements/T.V. health propaganda have a positive and singular influence on students'
awareness for health products existing in the consumer market.
Methods and Procedures
A questionnaire comprising four parts (A-D) was developed and used for data
collection. The Likert type sections A and C were developed by the author and
validated for content by colleagues in health related fields at both the Ondo and Ile-Ife
campuses of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Section 'A' was designed to
determine if advertisements/T.V. health propaganda played the exalted roles of informing,
educating and creating awareness for health products in the market. Section ‘C’ sought to
determine whether advertisements/T.V. health propaganda have positive influence on
students' awareness for health products.
The other two sections 'B' and 'D' were developed along the patterns used by
Richard et al (1973) for a similar study. Those sections have a list each of commonly
advertised non-prescription products in Nigeria. The respondents were required to rank
these products and identify the health problems they treat based on their knowledge gained
from advertisements/T.V. health propaganda.
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Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 4. No. 1. February, 1988.
Questionnaire were administered to 640 students drawn from four Nigeria
Universities at Ile-Jfe, Benin, Ibadan and Ilorin. A total of 160 (one hundred and sixty)
subjects were sampled in each of the Universities used. However, only 610 (six hundred and
ten) subjects comprising 396 (three hundred and ninety six) male and 214 (two hundred
and fourteen) female students completed and returned their questionnaire. A breakdown
showed that 156, 145, 149 and 160 subjects from each of the Universities respectively
returned their questionnaire. Students sampled were from the humanities departments.
Students from the humanities were used mainly because it is the author's opinion that as
non-science students, knowledge acquisition of health related matters gained from class
room experiences will be limited. All subjects used were 18 years old and above.
All scores were analysed descriptively using percentages, mean scores and ranking
order.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table I
College Students' Knowledge Score of Non-prescription Drugs
No.
of
Respondents
Respondents
Scores > x
% of Respondents
Scores x
Respondents
Scores < x
% of Respondents
x
610
384r
63
226
37
% x = 50.80%
Results of the study on Table I clearly shows that Nigerian University students
tagged college students are well knowledgeable about the large number of nonprescription drugs dominating the Nigerian consumer health market. Sixty three percent
63% of the respondents scored above 50.80% which represents respondents mean (x)
percentage score for predicting college students' knowledge of the use of nonprescription drugs available in the Nigerian health market. On the other hand, 37% of
respondents scored below the mean score.
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Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 4. No. 1. February, 1988.
Table II
Rank Order Table on Means to Developing SCBHA
Variable
Rank
% Score
Parents
1
23
Health Education
Doctors/Nurses
Consumer Education
Advertisements
T.V. Propaganda
Legislation
Friends
I
3
4
5
6
7
8
21
14
12
1!
9
6
4
*SCBHA
= Students Cognitive Base for Health Action.
Table II on rank order for variables that help to develop Students Cognitive Base
for Health Action (SCBHA) shows that advertisement/T.V. health propaganda only
increase the avenue for gathering knowledge but does not replace the variables of
parents, health education, doctors/ nurses and consumer education that ranked very high
on the table.
These results are not unique as they reflect recent trends in other parts of the
world. For instance, Mcmahon (1973) and Cateora (1962) concluded that with all the
glamorous, almost melodramatic approaches incorporated into advertising, it is no
wonder that Americans are confused about which services to use or which products to
buy Not only this, their purchasing habits are influenced by variables such as parents,
peers, salesmen and the school. In Nigeria, most of the advertisements/T.V. health
propaganda gamble to "hit" or "miss" because they are shown at inconvenient times
and in languages not comprehensible by- most Nigerian consumers (Chemkalog, 1978).
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Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 4. No. 1. February, 1988.
Table III
Respondents' Views on the Roles of A.TV.H.P.
N = 610
Factors + Respondent %+Respondent - Respon- %-Respondent*
dent.
1 , Influence
College
Students
Cognitive,
Base for
health
action
187
32,34
423
67.66%
2. Leaves
Consumers
Confused.
360
59
250
41
Table III shows that the first assumption that advertisernent/T.V. health
propaganda influence college students cognitive base for health action and choice
selection is not as strong as was expected.
423 or 67.66% of the respondents disagreed with the view that advertisement/T.V.
health propaganda is very important, the only source and an indispensable avenue for
developing full knowledge of market supply of health related products, while 187 or
32.34% of the group are of this opinion.
Also,
Table
III
reflects
on
respondents'
reaction
to
the
views
that
advertisements/T.V. Health propaganda leave consumers confused. This result agrees
with the views of Mcmahon (1973) and Cateora (1962) that the glamorous and almost
melodramatic approaches incorporated into advertising lives the American confused.
360 or 59% were positive while 250 or 41% felt otherwise about advertisement/T.V.
health propaganda processes. Thus, by these results, the second assumption that
advertisement and TV. Health propaganda have a positive influence on students'
awareness for health products existing in the consumer market is refuted. This fact is
further supported by observed advertisements on health related products given
coverage in the dailies, magazines and the television. This is because most of such
advertisements/Propaganda are often exaggerated and distorted,
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Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 4. No. 1. February, 1988.
Furthermore, the results of this study show that though advertisements/ T.V. health
propaganda do play a major role in creating awareness for health consumers of
existing health items and their uses, it does not represent the major avenue of
achieving education on health items for college students. Similarly, the survey revealed
that college students do not rely on T.V./advertisements in developing a cognitive base
for health action. Rather, they see these as additional media increasing the complication
faced in making sensible choices hi the health market.
The outcome of this study agree with the views of Chemkaiong"U978) that at its
best advertisements/T.V. can be a tool for health education; can be a useful channel to
help the public to undergo the bevaviour changes needed for healthier lives through well
planned and productive progammes; and can be a tool for distribution of health
information where behaviour change is left to chance. However, at its worst,
advertisements/T.V. can be a source of conflicting values and misinformation.
Recommendations
Based on these findings, the following are recommended: Firstly, health
educators in Nigeria should work in conjunction with advertisement promoters, industrial
public relation officers and T.V. producers to provide the public with information which is
correct and which encourages good health value judgment. Such health information
should be well articulated and demonstrated. Secondly, since reluctance on .the part of
Nigerian college students to accept the services of professional sources of information like
T.V./advertisement in the area of consumer health is revealed by literature (Anderson
1970. Richard et al 1973), health teachers should be aware of this fact and attempt to
incorporate methods of encouraging proper use of consumer health agencies and visualaids directly available to college students. This' will enhance values derivable from these
vital information agencies by college students.
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Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 4. No. 1. February, 1988.
References
Anderson, C.L. Health Principles and Practice, 6th Edition, St. Louis, C.V. Mosby,
1970.
Cateora, P.R. An analysis of the teenage market, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation,
University of Texas, 1962, cited in dissertation abstract, XXIII (1963) pp. 4557.
Chemkalong, ML, T.V. Help or hindrance to health education, Health Education
Journal, May, 1978. pp. 72.
Mcmahon, J.D. College Students' misconceptions about consumer health, AAHP.ER
School Health Review, November - December, 1973. pp. 12.
Richard, W. St. Pierre and Carrie, L.N. Student attitudes about college consumer
health products and problems, AAPHER School Health Review, November
December, 1973, pp. 14.
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