Breaking the stigma and cultural tightness: a sequential mixed-method evidence on health communication interventions through YouTube videos to ingrain pre-marital genetic testing behavior

The intersection of health communication and digital media is a growing research area. Yet, there remains a significant gap in understanding how digital health information influences behavior, particularly concerning genetic disorders in culturally tight societies. This study addresses the urgent need for improved public access to accurate health information, focusing on pre-marital genetic screening (hereafter PMGS) in Pakistan, where coverage of these issues remains limited. Using a sequential mixed-methods approach, this research investigates how health journalistic practices on digital platforms can shape preventive health behaviors. In Study 1, a content analysis of 96 vodcasts on genetic diseases from official news organization YouTube channels was conducted. The analysis revealed that the most frequently used frames were consequences and attribution of responsibility. A quasi-experiment was conducted with 420 respondents from Pakistan to explore the impact of these framing practices. The experiments examined how exposure to the dominant health frames identified in Study 1 affected preventive behaviors and attitudes toward PMGS. Results showed that frames highlighting perceived severity and response cost significantly influenced respondents’ intentions to engage in preventive health behaviors, including pre-marital screening. It also provides new evidence on the persuasive potential of health vodcasts in reducing stigma and raising awareness about genetic disorders.