Abstract:
This research aimed to (1) study and compare personal factors, (2) study and compare consumer behavior, (3) study service quality factors, and (4) study content marketing factors affecting health insurance purchasing decisions in Northern Thailand. This quantitative research study utilized a population and sample of 400 health insurance policyholders in Northern Thailand, selected through convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. The research instrument was a questionnaire.
The research findings revealed that: (1) Regarding personal factors, most respondents were female, aged 20-30 years, with average monthly income of 20,001-30,000 baht, employed as private company employees, and holding bachelor's degrees. Comparisons of personal factors showed that differences in gender, age, income, occupation, and education resulted in different purchasing decisions due to varying life stages and health conditions leading to different priorities. Higher income individuals were more likely to make purchases than those with lower income, as lower-income individuals needed to allocate money for more essential expenses. Different occupations typically had their own welfare benefits, and some occupations involved higher risks, leading to different decisions. Different education levels resulted in different life planning perspectives, with higher-educated individuals viewing insurance as future emergency planning. (2) Regarding consumer behavior factors, most respondents held 2 lump-sum medical expense policies from AIA company, with coverage amounts between 100,001-500,000 baht and policy terms of 6-10 years. The primary purchasing channel was through agents/sales representatives, with the main objective being awareness of future illness and medical costs. The purchasing budget ranged from 15,001-30,000 baht. Most respondents made independent purchasing decisions and were primarily self-influenced. The most influential information channel for purchasing decisions was word-of-mouth from friends, partners, or family members. The most important factor affecting purchasing decisions was the health insurance product itself, with March-April being the most popular purchasing period. Different behaviors affected health insurance purchasing decisions differently, including information channels from friends and family making consumer decisions easier due to credibility and real experiences creating more confidence than general advertising channels. The March-April purchasing period indicated that consumers with good financial liquidity decided to purchase higher coverage than other periods, and consumers with awareness of future illness objectives chose to buy insurance with more comprehensive coverage than those purchasing for other reasons. (3) Regarding service quality factors affecting purchasing decisions, these comprised awareness, responsiveness to needs, reliability, trustworthiness in service delivery, service accessibility, physical characteristics, and empathy, all having statistically significant influence on service quality (Sig. < 0.05). Awareness had the highest coefficient, indicating that consumer perception and decision-making based on recognizing the value and role of health insurance was crucial. This showed that consumers prioritized information perception, understanding policy conditions, coverage, and benefits received when purchasing policies. (4) Regarding content marketing factors affecting purchasing decisions, these comprised infographics, news and articles, white papers, e-books, photographs, and interviews, all having statistically significant influence on consumer behavior (Sig. < 0.05). Infographics had the greatest influence, reflecting the importance of concise, clear, and attractive information communication in stimulating consumer decisions, as consumers appreciated easily understandable, comprehensive, and diverse content. Content creation strategies should emphasize clear, easily understandable, and credible information to enhance understanding, build confidence, and create purchasing motivation among consumers in Northern Thailand.