Module 5. Health Communication  

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will be able to

  • identify the key approaches to developing health communication campaigns
  • describe the strengths and limitations of health communication campaigns (i.e., what they can and cannot realistically achieve independently of other population health strategies)
  • recognize the potential of health communication campaigns to inadvertently increase health inequities (the knowledge-gap hypothesis) in the absence of additional strategies/supports for low SES, marginalized groups
  • describe the characteristics of effective fear appeal messages
  • recognize the benefits and challenges associated with social media as a vehicle for health communication

Learning Activities

Course Reserves can be accessed using the Library Resources widget on the Course Home page.

Overview of Health Communication

  • 5a. Defining the Parameters of Health Communication
  • Course Reserve: Atkin, C.K. & Rice, R.E. (2012). Theory and principles of public communication campaigns. In R.E. Rice & C.K. Atkin (Eds.), Public Communication Campaigns (4th ed., pp. 3–19). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
  • Course Reserve: Dorfman, L. & Wallack, L. (2012). Putting policy into health communication: The role of media advocacy. In R.E. Rice & C.K. Atkin (Eds.), Public Communication Campaigns (4th ed., pp. 335–348). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
  • Course Reserve: Fischbacher-Smith, D., Irwin, A., & Fischbacher-Smith, M. (2010). Bringing light to the shadows and shadows to the light: Risk, risk management and risk communication. In Risk Communication and Public Health (2nd ed., pp. 23–38). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Course Reserve: Wakefield, M.A., Loken, B., & Hornik, R.C. (2010). Use of mass media campaigns to change health behaviour. The Lancet, 376(9748), 1261–1271.
  • Course Reserve: Viswanath, K., Finnegan, J.R., & Gollust, S. (2015). Communication and health behavior in a changing media environment. In K. Glanz, B.K. Rimer, & K. Viswanath (Eds.), Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research and Practice (5th ed., pp. 327–349).
  • 5b. Can Health Communication Campaigns Increase Health Inequities? Overcoming the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis

Fear Appeals

Social Media

 

Optional Readings

  • Course Reserve: Gold, J., Pedrana, A.E., Stoove, M.A., Chang, S., Howard, S., Asselin, J., ... & Hellard, M.E. (2012). Developing health promotion interventions on social networking sites: Recommendations from the FaceSpace Project. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 14(1): e30, PMCID: PMC3374544.
  • Course Reserve: Niederdeppe, J., Bu, Q., Borah, P., Kindig, D.A., & Robert, S.A. (2008). Message design strategies to raise public awareness of social determinants of health and population health disparities. The Milbank Quarterly, 86(3), 481–513.
  • Course Reserve: Yzer, M.C., Southwell, B.G., & Stephenson, M.T. (2013). Chapter 11: Inducing fear as a public communication campaign strategy. In R.E. Rice & C.K. Atkin (Eds.), Public Communication Campaigns (4th ed., pp. 163–176). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
 

Activities and Assignments

  • Participate in Week 5 Discussion
  • Discuss any questions you may have about the feedback provided for your Iterative Assignment topic proposal with your instructor.