PurposeCyberchondria refers to the repeated and excessive search for health-related information online, associated with increased health anxiety. This paper utilizes the protection motivation theory to investigate the negative behavioral consequences of cyberchondria that pose health risks to users, such as trust in the physician, propensity to self-medicate, and therapy compliance.Design/methodology/approachThe data for the study were collected from a sample of 317 participants in India using an online survey and form. The analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling.FindingsCyberchondria negatively affects the trust in physician and positively affects the propensity to self-medicate. Trust in physician negatively affects the propensity to self-medicate and positively affects therapy compliance. Furthermore, trust in physician partially mediates the relationship between cyberchondria and the propensity to self-medicate and completely mediates the relationship between cyberchondria and therapy compliance. Cyberchondria has no direct significant effect on therapy compliance.Research limitations/implicationsResearchers need to examine other behavioral or psychological factors affected by the reduced trust in physicians due to cyberchondria.Practical implicationsPhysicians and health care providers should refocus on patients with cyberchondria and regain their trust through quality interactions and services. Policymakers may consider regulating online health information publication to set the standards of information quality and source. Websites and platforms publishing health information online should distinctly label verified information.Originality/valueThis study investigates the damaging effects of cyberchondria's behavioral consequences that pose health risks to users.

Purpose Consumer food behavior has received considerable attention from marketers, researchers and regulators. With the rising obesity epidemic worldwide, the existing literature and previous reviews provide a limited understanding of consumers’ unhealthy food choices. To address this gap, this study aims to investigate consumer psychology for food choices in terms of mental processes and behavior. Design/methodology/approach This systematic literature review analyzed 84 research papers accessed from the Web of Science database and selected high-quality marketing journals. A detailed analysis identified themes arranged in an organizing framework. Gaps, limitations, convergence and ambivalent findings were noted to derive future research directions. Findings Major themes in the literature include food marketers’ actions (food stimuli and context), environmental influence (micro and macro) and consumer psychology and personal factors, leading to food choice related decisions. The antecedents and consequences of food choice healthiness are summarized. Several studies converged on the benefits of health motivations and goals, food literacy and customizing meals bottom-up on food choice healthiness. Research limitations/implications This review helps researchers gain state-of-the-art understanding on consumer psychology for food choices. It presents ambivalent and converging findings, gaps and limitations of extant research to inform researchers about issues that need to be addressed in the literature. This review presents future research questions to guide research on critical issues. This literature review contributes to marketing domain literature on consumer’s food well-being and overall well-being. Practical implications This review offers actionable insights for food marketers, policymakers and nongovernmental organizations to drive consumer demand for healthier foods, focusing on food labeling, food environment, message framing and raising consumer awareness. Originality/value This review offers current understanding of consumer psychology for food choices focusing on healthiness, an aspect lacking in previous literature reviews.

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Purpose Consumers’ lifestyle and financial decision-making affects their overall well-being. This paper aims to explore the factors that motivate consumers to pursue the goal of financial independence and retiring early (FIRE). Design/methodology/approach Qualitative netnography was used to analyze FIRE-related discussions by FIRE-specific online communities. The findings were triangulated using inputs from in-depth interviews with 13 financial advisors. Findings Using conservation of resources as a theoretical lens, two factors were found to be the primary motivators driving FIRE attitude and subsequent adoption of FIRE behavior – “escapism & freedom from the current workplace & life space” and “concern for physical & mental well-being.” Four factors were found to influence the adoption of FIRE attitude and behavior: “individual characteristics” [do-it-yourself (DIY) and proactive attitude, the capability of frugal living and ability to plan, track, and review], “well-paying job,” “support from spouse” and “resistance from social groups.” Research limitations/implications Due to the nature of netnography, demographic details of the sample cannot be completely ascertained. Practical implications The findings suggest marketing strategies primarily to wealth managers for: shifting to need-based segmentation of FIRE participants, modifying offerings to involve co-creation and low-touch products, innovating pricing models, increasing distribution reach through digitization and increasing sales and lead generation through engagement. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to explore the factors driving the adoption of FIRE by general FIRE consumers and presents a conceptual model.

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