The Study
Interdisciplinary Examination of the Communication Effect of Herbal Product Advertisements Targeting Health Problems in Older Adults: The Role of Advertising and Health Literacy
This study asked older people what they remember from ads and how they feel about them, then looked to see if people who understand health info better had different reactions. It found patterns — like smarter health readers were more skeptical — but it didn’t change anything or test if one thing caused another. So it’s like noticing that people who eat more carrots also have better eyesight — but that doesn’t mean carrots fix your vision.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Older people who understand health info better are more skeptical of herbal ads, but those who understand how ads work are more likely to buy the products — even if they know the claims are dodgy.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 540 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — even smart, critical older adults still buy these products because the ads tap into fear of pain and hope for relief, not logic.
- 2Higher health literacy: 0.004 p-value → more skeptical.
- 3Higher ad literacy: <0.001 p-value → more likely to buy.
- 4Most remembered words: 'pain' and 'health claim'.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice
Year
2026
Authors
E. Kasapoğlu, Cihangir Kasapoğlu, Hanifi Dülger
Related Content
Claims (6)
Adults aged 65 and older with better understanding of health information tend to have more negative attitudes toward herbal product ads that make health claims, even when their desire to buy the products does not change.
Older adults who understand advertising techniques better are more likely to intend to buy herbal products that make health claims.
Among adults aged 65 and older, herbal product ads that focus on health benefits and pain relief are remembered most often, followed by testimonials and price information, and this pattern of recall is linked to advertising that uses emotional, symptom-based messaging to influence buying decisions, regardless of the person's reading ability.
Older adults aged 65 and older who have chronic diseases or take regular medications have lower health literacy than those who do not.
Among adults aged 65 and older, understanding how advertising works does not make them more skeptical of herbal product claims, even though it makes them more likely to buy those products.
Misleading health messages aimed at older adults often claim that all seniors are unaware of health facts in order to make them follow advice without questioning it.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.