JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Public awareness campaigns and testing promotion must be strengthened to eliminate infections with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively) by 2030. Although public health campaigns using various types of advertising are widely conducted, the appropriate channels for viral hepatitis testing remain unclear.

Objective:

To identify web services and digital advertising channels appropriate for promoting HBV and HCV testing, segmented by prior testing history and testing intention.

Methods:

A nationwide cross-sectional online survey of Japanese adults aged 20–69 years was conducted. The respondents answered questions on viral hepatitis testing status, routinely used web services with 180 options, and exposure to digital advertising with 25 choices. Correspondence analysis was used to visualize the associations among the testing segments, web services, and digital advertising. The distinctiveness was quantitatively evaluated.

Results:

Of the 2000 respondents (1011 men, 989 women), 18.0% (359/2000) reported prior HBV and HCV testing, and 22.1% (441/2000) were unsure whether they had ever been tested. Web services characteristically associated with those who had never been tested but were willing to be tested included Lawson (convenience store) and cosme (cosmetic shopping). The corresponding digital advertising channels included in-store and storefront screens at Welcia (pharmacy chain) and Lawson (convenience store). Segment-specific patterns varied according to age group and sex.

Conclusions:

In Japan, the convenience store chain Lawson was a distinctively frequent touchpoint, both online and offline, among individuals who wished to undergo viral hepatitis testing. Future studies are needed to determine whether implementing awareness-raising activities through Lawson can lead to an increased uptake of testing and subsequent treatment.