What Matters (and What Does Not) in Households' Decision to Invest in Malaria Prevention

What Matters (and What Does Not) in Households' Decision to Invest in Malaria Prevention

Sub Editor

This paper tests the effects on the take-up of a preventative health product of two interventions based on behavioral models derived from psychology: varying the framing of the perceived benefits; and having people verbally commit to purchase the product. I find that none of these interventions had a significant effect (whether economically or statistically) on take-up, and that the gender of the household member targeted was also irrelevant. In contrast, I find that take-up is sensitive to price, as in Cohen and Dupas (2008), and is correlated with indicators of household’s wealth.

January 01, 2009