Davao City — Generation Z in Davao City, Philippines, prefers HIV prevention campaigns delivered by healthcare professionals through social media using story-driven content and an empowering tone. The finding comes from a study by Chrisna L. Balbuena, Abby Gayle Y. Cua, Leonardo Alfonso L. Ganade, Ma. Althea M. Salva, Kate Andrea Y. Sy, and Emmanuel Joseph B. Sumatra of Ateneo de Davao University. Using field data collected from June to September 2025, the study involved 383 respondents aged 18–28 around four HIV treatment hubs in Davao City. The results show that the identity of the campaign speaker was the most important factor shaping Gen Z preferences for HIV prevention campaigns.
HIV remains a major global public health concern. In the Asia-Pacific region, young people account for a significant share of new infections. The Philippines has emerged as one of the countries experiencing the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the region. The Davao Region also records a high number of reported HIV cases, with Davao City serving as one of the major urban centers facing the challenge.
The Davao City government has made prevention and testing services available, including pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, and voluntary testing through youth-friendly health facilities and dedicated treatment hubs. However, the availability of free services does not necessarily translate into high utilization. Social stigma and institutional barriers surrounding sexual health discussions remain challenges for HIV communication in the Philippines.
The issue becomes particularly important when considered alongside the communication habits of Generation Z. Born between 1997 and 2012, this generation has grown up with digital technology and consumes information differently from previous generations. Social media is a major part of their daily lives, but simply placing health information on digital platforms does not guarantee that audiences will engage with it. The messenger, communication style, and structure of the message also influence how the information is received.
The researchers examined four major elements of HIV prevention campaign design: speaker, communication channel, message content, and message tone. The study applied conjoint analysis through the 1000minds platform using the PAPRIKA method. Respondents compared different campaign combinations, allowing the researchers to identify which elements they prioritized when choosing HIV prevention messages.
Before the main data collection, the research instrument was developed through structured interviews and in-depth interviews with individuals connected to health services. Pre-testing was also conducted to reduce the number of comparisons required from respondents and minimize survey fatigue. Of 434 field responses collected, 383 were considered valid after data screening.
Most respondents were between 18 and 24 years old, representing 67.89 percent of the sample, while those aged 25–28 accounted for 32.11 percent. Gender distribution was relatively balanced, with 51.70 percent female, 47.50 percent male, and 0.80 percent intersex respondents. Most participants were undergraduate students at 61.90 percent, while 27.40 percent were college graduates. Respondents were located around Davao Doctors Hospital, RHWC, Jefferyi By Love Yourself, and SPMC.
The study also revealed the strong role of social media in respondents’ daily lives. A total of 50.10 percent reported spending more than seven hours per day on social media, while another 32.90 percent spent four to six hours daily. Television and radio consumption was considerably lower. Although most respondents had basic awareness of HIV, only 21.10 percent reported active familiarity with local municipal HIV campaign systems.
The analysis found that the speaker was the most important attribute, accounting for 40.70 percent of relative importance. Communication channel ranked second at 26.60 percent, followed by message content at 20.40 percent and message tone at 12.40 percent. These findings demonstrate that source credibility is a major consideration for Gen Z when receiving sensitive health information.
Among speaker options, healthcare professionals emerged as the strongest preference, with a normalized utility of 40.70 percent. Educators followed at 24.10 percent, while people living with HIV received 12.80 percent. Friends received a utility value of 0 percent within the model. The findings suggest that when dealing with information about infectious diseases and sexual health, respondents prioritized professional credibility over social familiarity.
For communication channels, social media was the leading preference with a relative importance weight of 26.60 percent. Broadcast media ranked lower, while integrated or hybrid campaigns received the baseline utility value in the model. The finding suggests that HIV prevention strategies targeting Gen Z need to be present on digital platforms where young people already spend substantial amounts of time.
For message content, story-driven content emerged as the strongest preference, with a relative importance of 20.40 percent. Striking imagery and graphics followed at 10.70 percent, while authentic or user-generated content received the baseline value. The result indicates that Gen Z respondents are not only looking for health information but also prefer communication formats that make the information easier to understand and remember.
Message tone had the lowest overall relative importance at 12.40 percent, but its preferred configuration was clear. An empowering and motivational tone received the full 12.40 percent utility weight, while a direct and factual tone received the baseline value. The finding suggests that supportive communication may be more appropriate for engaging Gen Z than rigid or fear-oriented approaches.
When all attributes were combined, the most preferred campaign configuration consisted of a healthcare professional as the speaker, social media as the channel, story-driven content, and an empowering or motivational tone. This combination achieved a cumulative utility of 100 percent and represented the highest-preference configuration in the study. By contrast, a campaign using friends as speakers, an integrated or hybrid channel, authentic user-generated content, and a direct factual tone represented the least preferred combination.
The simulated choice results further demonstrated the dominance of this configuration. Campaign 1, combining a healthcare professional, social media, story-driven content, and an empowering tone, achieved a 100 percent first-choice share in the model. Other configurations using striking imagery instead of story-driven content, or educators instead of healthcare professionals, produced lower utility scores.
The level of agreement among respondents was also very strong. Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance reached 0.807, while Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient reached 0.804. According to the researchers, these values indicate a high level of consistency in respondents’ preferences for HIV prevention campaign designs.
The findings offer an important lesson for public health communication. Gen Z may spend substantial amounts of time on social media, but this does not mean that young audiences will automatically trust every health message appearing on digital platforms. For sensitive information with potentially serious consequences, respondents showed stronger confidence in professional health sources. Public health organizations can therefore use social media while maintaining a strong emphasis on source credibility.
The study also shows that social media communication should be combined with narrative approaches. Campaigns can present stories about health screening experiences, accessing preventive services, or the process of using PrEP while protecting personal privacy. Such formats can make health information more relatable and understandable without compromising its scientific basis.
Communication tone is another important consideration. The researchers found that Gen Z preferred empowering communication rather than messages that simply delivered information in a direct factual manner. Supportive language can help reduce stigma and encourage individuals to take proactive steps toward prevention and personal health.
Based on these findings, public health agencies such as the Department of Health, the Davao City Health Office, and related organizations are encouraged to strengthen digital communication strategies by involving doctors, nurses, clinical counselors, and other trained health professionals who can communicate effectively with younger audiences. Content can be distributed through TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and other digital platforms using engaging storytelling and supportive language that avoids reinforcing stigma.
Overall, the study by Chrisna L. Balbuena and colleagues shows that effective HIV prevention communication for Gen Z depends not only on the information being delivered but also on source credibility, platform selection, message structure, and communication tone. A combination of healthcare professionals, social media, structured storytelling, and empowering communication emerged as the configuration most aligned with the preferences of Gen Z respondents in Davao City.
Authors
Chrisna L. Balbuena — Ateneo de Davao University.
Abby Gayle Y. Cua — Ateneo de Davao University.
Leonardo Alfonso L. Ganade — Ateneo de Davao University.
Ma. Althea M. Salva — Ateneo de Davao University.
Kate Andrea Y. Sy — Ateneo de Davao University.
Emmanuel Joseph B. Sumatra — Ateneo de Davao University.
Research Source
Article Title: A Conjoint Analysis of Gen Z Preferences for HIV Prevention Campaigns in Davao City
Journal: International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research (IJSMR), Vol. 4 No. 8, 2026, pp. 1827–1840.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijsmr.v4i8.71
Journal Link: https://journalijsmr.my.id/index.php/ijsmr
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