The impact of implicit health symbols on probiotic products on purchase intention among gastrointestinal disease patients: evidence from multiple experiments

Previous studies have demonstrated that gastrointestinal disease patients exhibit a pronounced preference for probiotic products. However, the extent to which purchase intention is influenced by implicit health symbols on product packaging remains insufficiently investigated. To address this research gap, this study, grounded in the Health Belief Model, systematically examined the impact of implicit health symbols on gastrointestinal disease patients' purchase intention through three experiments ( N = 955 participants). The results indicated that compared to standard packaging, probiotic packages featuring implicit health symbols significantly enhanced patients' purchase intention (Study 1). Mechanistic analysis revealed that implicit health symbols operate by inducing health anxiety, which subsequently drives purchase intention (Study 2). Furthermore, under conditions of high disease threat, the health anxiety triggered by implicit health symbols was significantly intensified, thereby further strengthening purchase intention (Study 3). This study provides new empirical evidence regarding the role of implicit health symbols in shaping the consumption behavior of a specific patient group and elucidates the underlying psychological mechanisms. These findings contribute to health marketing theory and provide empirical support for the design of probiotic product packaging by food companies, while also offering valuable insights for policy-making.