Cues to Action and Self-Efficacy in the Health Belief Model: Perceived Risk as Mediating Roles Towards Enhancing Customer Engagement

Understanding and predicting customer engagement (CE) is crucial, especially in the context of medical and health insurance (MHI). In the current global landscape, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, gaining insights into customer behavior is essential for shaping future decisions and strategies. This study aims to investigate CE in private hospitals in Malaysia by utilizing the Health Belief Model (HBM). The HBM offers a comprehensive view of how customer beliefs and behaviors affect CE, making it well-suited for this research context. The study employs variance-based structural equation modeling through Smart PLS 4.0, using a sample of 150 private hospital customers in Malaysia. The findings reveal a significant relationship between Cues to Action (CA) and Self-Efficacy (SE) on CE, while perceived risk (PR) does not mediate the relationship between CA and SE about CE.