How Skinfluencers Can Impact Black Consumers' Attitudes and Intentions Towards Sunscreen Use: The Role of Message Appeal, Health Beliefs, and Health Regulatory Focus

BackgroundBlack audiences with melanoma diagnoses face high morbidity rates, which necessitates the development and testing of sunscreen messaging strategies to be used by health specialists and practitioners in future campaigns.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to test how Black skinfluencers' emotional and informational message appeals interact with Black consumers' health regulatory focus and health beliefs to impact sunscreen-related attitudes, use, and purchase intentions.MethodA between-subjects online experiment with 570 Black participants aged 18 and above was conducted. Participants' existing health regulatory focus and health beliefs were measured and incorporated as moderators.ResultsParticipants with higher susceptibility and self-efficacy reported higher sunscreen use and purchase intentions when exposed to a melanoma-based fear appeal. Influencers discussing the benefits of sunscreen use to mitigate the effects of hyperpigmentation resonate with Black participants who are promotion oriented in their health regulatory focus.DiscussionThis study suggests the effectiveness of incorporating skinfluencer-based message strategies in health campaigns designed to increase sunscreen usage amongst Black audiences.Translation to Health Education PracticeOur findings offer potentially effective strategies for Certified Health Education Specialists seeking to design campaigns that encourage sunscreen use to prevent melanoma diagnoses and related morbidity outcomes amongst Black audiences.