Growing old and living alone: perceptions of preventive health services

Abstract With a growing population of elderly consumers, marketers and providers of health-related services need to understand the motivations and perceptions influencing the actions of this increasingly important target market. This investigation draws from both the consumer behavior and health literatures to examine participation in a preventive health service designed to enable independent living. Empirical findings showed that motivating factors, including perceptions of susceptibility (risk), seriousness of the consequences and benefits of the service, and the barriers (i.e. lack of awareness and perceived social stigma) were significant predictors of participation in a preventive health service. User participation and satisfaction with core benefits significantly influenced continuing loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. Implications for marketing managers of preventive health services in general and personal emergency response systems in particular are outlined.