Health Communication Commons^™

Barriers And Facilitators Of Childhood Immunization: A Mixed Methods Assessment Of Health Care And Community Health Professionals’ Observations, Jenny Dong

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Childhood immunization has led to significant decreases in the burden of infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Despite these contributions, U.S. childhood vaccination rates have been declining in recent years, and updates to the federal immunization schedule have removed recommendations for several childhood vaccinations. Amid such an uncertain public health landscape, understanding how environmental conditions affect childhood immunization behaviors is crucial for ensuring that children receive the vital protections vaccines offer. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the barriers and facilitators of childhood immunization observed by Nebraska health care professionals (HCPs). This study utilized an online questionnaire and …

A Comparative Analysis Of Advertising Appeals In Anti- Smoking Advertisements (Print And Online Display Ads) From 1990s To 2020s In The U.K, Ayomide Adebare Mr, Jill Nash Dr

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This study provides a comparative analysis of advertising appeals in static anti-smoking advertisements in the U.K. from the 1990s to the 2020s, using quantitative content analysis. The research evaluates print and online display advertisements, focusing on the prevalence of rational (gain-framed and statistical) and emotional (fear and guilt) appeals. The study investigates shifts in appeal usage over time and the broader societal and regulatory influences driving these changes. Findings indicate a strategic shift in public health messaging, moving from fear-based appeals in the 1990s to increased reliance on gain-framed appeals by the 2020s. This study enhances academic understanding of how …

Children's Views On Outdoor Advertising Of Unhealthy Food And Beverages Near Schools, Jacinta Francis, Elizabeth Ross, Claire Pulker, Sally Brinkman, Joelie Mandzufas, Karen Martin, Justine Howard, Gina Trapp

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children are often exposed to unhealthy outdoor food advertisements during the school commute. This exposure can have negative public health consequences given childhood weight gain has been linked to the marketing of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods. This study aimed to explore schoolchildren's lived experiences and attitudes towards outdoor advertising surrounding their schools. Seven focus groups with children aged 10–16 years (n = 47) attending schools located in areas with high densities of unhealthy outdoor advertising were conducted in Perth, Western Australia, between July and October 2023. Study participants were aware of outdoor advertising of unhealthy food and beverages near their …

Where Are The Alcohol Advertising Hotspots Near Schools?, Joelie Mandzufas, Karen Lombardi, Robyn S. Johnston, Alexia Bivoltsis, Justine Howard, Paula Hooper, Gina Trapp

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue Addressed: Physically locating liquor stores near schools can strongly influence the chances of youth accessing and consuming alcohol, and may also increase children's exposure to alcohol advertising. Investigating the association between the presence of a liquor store near a school and the prevalence of outdoor alcohol advertising is crucial from a policy perspective, as it can inform future regulations on the placement of liquor stores and outdoor advertising near educational institutions. Methods: All outdoor alcohol advertising within a 500 m radius (audit zone) of 64 randomly selected schools from local government areas across metropolitan Perth was identified by direct …

Minimising The Risk: Teen Perspectives On Sexual Choking In Pornography, Giselle Woodley, Kelly Jaunzems

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sexual choking / strangulation encompasses a range of practices where pressure is applied to the neck to restrict air or blood flow during a sexual encounter. While choking is most commonly associated with the application of hands around a person’s neck, other limbs or ligatures, such as the forearm or rope, may also be used (Herbenick et al., Frequency 3122; Herbenick et al., Prevalence 1059). This article will predominantly use the term “choking” or “sexual choking” to match teen vernacular and public discourse. These terms, however, may be used interchangeably with other more context-specific terms used in the literature such …

Traumatok - Tiktok Videos Relating To Trauma: Content Analysis, Alix Woolard, Rigel Paciente, Emily Munro, Nicole Wickens, Gabriella Wells, Daniel Ta, Joelie Mandzufas, Karen Lombardi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Experiencing a traumatic event can significantly impact mental and emotional well-being. Social media platforms offer spaces for sharing stories, seeking support, and accessing psychoeducation. TikTok (ByteDance), a rapidly growing social media platform, is increasingly used for advice, validation, and information, although the content of this requires further study. Research is particularly needed to better understand TikTok content relating to trauma and the potential implications for young viewers, considering the distressing nature of the subject and the possibility of users experiencing vicarious trauma through exposure to these videos. Objective: This study aims to explore the content of trauma-related videos on …

After The Disaster Guidebook: Designing A Post-Disaster Communication Intervention For Rural Landowners, Channing Bice, Susan Carter

Journal of Extension

Extension is well-positioned to facilitate communication strategies that foster community resilience and disaster recovery, particularly for rural residents. This paper proposes a new approach to post-disaster communication that strengthens rural community capacities in locally and culturally relevant ways. The findings revealed specific post-disaster information needs, preferences for local resources, and communication that encourages resilience through a document analysis and interviews with informants recovering from the 2020 Colorado wildfires. The practical recommendations discussed serve as a starting point for Extension professionals in other areas to consider ways to engage with their communities before, during, and after a disaster.

Public Sentiments And The Influence Of Information-Seeking Preferences On Knowledge, Attitudes, Death Conversation And Receptiveness Towards Palliative Care: Results From A Nationwide Survey In Singapore, Su Lin Yeo, Raymond Han Lip Ng, Tan Ying Peh, May O. Lwin, Poh Heng Chong, Patricia Soek Hui Neo, Jamie Xuelian Zhou, Angel Lee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Background: Low awareness about palliative care among the global public and healthcare communities has been frequently cited as a persistent barrier to palliative care acceptance. Given that knowledge shapes attitudes and encourages receptiveness, it is critical to examine factors that influence the motivation to increase knowledge. Health information-seeking from individuals and media has been identified as a key factor, as the process of accessing and interpreting information to enhance knowledge has been shown to positively impact health behaviours. Objective: Our study aimed to uncover public sentiments toward palliative care in Singapore. A conceptual framework was additionally developed to investigate the …

Understanding The Consumption Of Antimicrobial Resistance–Related Content On Social Media: Twitter Analysis, Hyunuk Kim, Chris R. Proctor, Dylan Walker, Ronan R. Mccarthy

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing concerns in our society. Today, social media can function as an important channel to disseminate information about AMR. The way in which this information is engaged with depends on a number of factors, including the target audience and the content of the social media post.

Objective: The aim of this study is to better understand how AMR-related content is consumed on the social media platform Twitter and to understand some of the drivers of engagement. This is essential to designing effective public health strategies, raising awareness about antimicrobial …

The Student Athlete Wellness Portal: Translating Student Athletes’ Prescription Opioid Use Narratives Into A Targeted Public Health Intervention, Anne E. Pezalla, Hyejeong Choi, Francis Mckee, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objectives: The opioid epidemic has permeated all strata of society over the last two decades, especially within the adolescent student athletic environment, a group particularly at risk and presenting their own challenges for science and practice. This paper (a) describes the development of a web-based intervention called the Student Athlete Wellness Portal that models effective opioid misuse resistance strategies and (b) details the findings of a single-group design to test its effectiveness. Materials and Methods: Formative research included 35 student athletes residing in the United States, ages 14 to 21, who had been injured in their …

Advocacy Spotlight: Are You An Advocate?, Vincent Benivegna Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Advocacy is crucial for dentists in Michigan, as they face a unique opportunity to impact Medicaid dental benefits positively. Governor Gretchen Whitmer's budget proposal for 2023 includes a substantial $240 million investment to revamp dental Medicaid benefits, a historic move for the state. The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) has actively engaged with government offices and legislators to ensure this opportunity is not missed. However, despite the MDA's efforts to mobilize members through action alerts, response rates have disappointed. The article emphasizes the importance of consistent advocacy, as it has the power to influence dental practices and the well-being of patients …

Examining The Intersection Of Public Relations And Vaccine Communication: An Analysis Of Audience-Centered Strategies For Evolving Health Information, Julia A. Mills

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In an uncertain environment, public relations (PR) practitioners provide signposts to fulfill different audience information needs. However, little research exists on the role of the PR practitioner in communicating evolving health information, especially during urgent health events like a pandemic. Through a comparative case study of PR tactics by three American public health organizations, this project aimed to understand what strategies health care professionals can use to improve communication about the COVID-19 vaccine to priority populations. The findings then informed an original artifact with six best practices for audience-centered vaccine communication.

An Investigation Of The Attitudes And Behavioral Outcomes Of Nebraskan Hunters Toward Tick-Borne Disease, Dominic J. Cristiano

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As changes in climate, land-use, and vegetation alter the landscape of the Great Plains, new threats to public health are emerging. Incidences of tick-borne disease in Nebraska have increased nearly 250% over the past two decades – newly established species like Ixodes scapularis may introduce challenges for health practitioners, including more cases of Lyme disease. Strategies for tick-borne disease prevention must incorporate effective health messaging. Audience segmentation may be a useful technique to provide health communication, as it allows for targeted messaging that speaks to specific attitudes and beliefs of a given population. One tool for usefully segmenting populations is …

Six Feet Apart: Relational Turbulence Theory And Coping With Covid-19 Within Long-Distance Relationships, Mia Waymack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Among research that currently exists, no studies thus far combine elements of COVID-19, long-distance relationships, and Relational Turbulence Theory to explain how each of these elements impacts the others, if at all. Previous research does exist on each of these elements individually, although research regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19 on relationships is minimal considering the pandemic is ongoing. Long-distance relationships have been studied using Relational Turbulence Theory in previous studies within military relationships but have not been studied in connection with either COVID-19 or among college students. This study was conducted by way of qualitative, one-on-one interviews to determine …

Social Media, Humor, And Crisis Health Communication: Humor Used To Inform Over Social Media During Covid-19, Sally Burkley

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

With the recent events of COVID-19, it is necessary to examine how everyday citizens responded to the public health messages delivered by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. government and how these responses revealed and impacted the effectiveness of the organization’s messages. Furthermore, it is important to consider the potential humor has as an information spreading tool within the collaborative medium of social media. This study analyzes three different digital humor artifacts using a chronological rhetorical analysis in order to understand how we communicate health crisis initiatives over social media. The research findings show the change …

A Framework Of Social Media Messages For Crisis And Risk Communication: A Study Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nic Depaula, Loni Hagen, Stiven Roytman, Deaundre Dyson, Dana Alnahass, Mihir Patel, Alex B. Hill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Social media are important channels for crisis and risk communication by government agencies. However, existing frameworks for studying these messages use loose and inconsistent terminology, making it difficult to build on this research and understand how message features impact message diffusion. In this study, we provide a framework based on textual and media dimensions of messages for improved analysis of social media crisis and risk communication. We apply the framework to a sample of Twitter posts from United States local, state and federal public health agencies during a year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Results show reasonable reliability levels for coding …

“Someone You Love” Documentary: Using Narratives In Entertainment Media To Increase Hpv Vaccination In Georgia, Gabrielle C. Darville- Sanders, Jann Macinnes, Kelsey Schwarz

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Although HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, vaccination rates are still lagging among adolescents and young adults. Entertainment-education is a popular strategy for incorporating educational messages into entertainment media. With popular shows on television now integrating health messages into their narrative, there are more opportunities to influence knowledge, attitude and health behaviors. Objective: To (a) determine the effectiveness of the HPV narrative included in the “Someone You love” documentary on HPV risk perception, vaccine self-efficacy and behavioral intention for HPV vaccine uptake on college students and (b) assess the immediate impact of the …

An Exploration Of Effective Patient Education With An Emphasis On Concussion, Kayla M. Ruopp

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concussion is a prevalent healthcare issue in the US, with approximately 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions each year in all ages. A concussion can be defined as a traumatic brain injury caused by biomechanical forces. When an athlete sustains a concussion, a physiologic cascade of events occurs. The most common signs and symptoms of a concussion include: loss of balance, disorientation, headache and confusion. Concussion assessments are important in order to determine the presence of an impairment and there are a multitude of tests that clinicians can use in order to isolate each type of damage. Studies have shown …

Establishing A Resident-Lead High School Outreach Program To Improve Physician Community Engagement, Dylan Mcdivitt

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

New Jersey’s Cumberland County is home to a vastly diverse population of people, comprised of numerous racial, ethnic, economic, health, and educational backgrounds among its nearly 150,000 residents. Per U.S. Census data, about 15% of the population is below the poverty line, including about 20% of those below the age of 18. With economic hardship often come health problems and disparities, and Cumberland County’s rates of obesity, tobacco use, lung cancer, and drug-induced deaths are all above the national averages.

Notable student survey findings:

• 67 students reported a friend had shared thoughts of depression with them in the last …

Health Literacy Of University Students In Covid-19 Pandemic And Infodemic: A Pakistani Perspective, Rozeen Shaukat, Muhammad Asif Naveed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research investigated the levels of health literacy among Pakistani university students in the Covid-19 pandemic and infodemic. The university students were surveyed using an online questionnaire at two public sector universities and one private sector university in Punjab-Pakistan. The administration of the data collection instrument was completed with permission from concerned authorities. A total of 374 responses received which were imported to SPSS and analyzed by applying descriptive as well as inferential statistics. The results revealed that the health literacy of university students in the Covid-19 pandemic and infodemic was not at an optimal level as these participants expressed …

“En Defensa Por La Salud”: Los Actores Sociales En La Construcción Del Movimiento Social En Chile, Karina Martinez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation aimed to describe the construction of the social movement for health demands in the frame of the social outbreak in Chile in October 2019. In addition to identifying the main health demands of this movement, it also had a focus on understanding the role of social organizations in the construction of the movement and placing it within the broader socio-political movement that arises from the social outbreak. The research design was qualitative and descriptive. Having been a remote investigation, it was largely based on literature review with the support of information from a semi-structured interview. Regarding the results, …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Social Collaborations On Sexual And Reproductive Health Knowledge, Lucki Word, Jaila Campbell, Manar T. Edriss, Destiny Stroman, Jewel Evans, Melanie Hanna-Johnson, Md, Anil N. F. Aranha, Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Developments in technology, such as the popularity of mobile devices and social media outlets, have enhanced the ability of individuals to communicate. Currently, search engines allow for easy exploration of information related to every topic of interest. Our study purpose was to evaluate the impact of technological and social collaborations on sexual and reproductive health knowledge (SRHK).

Methods: A 50-item survey instrument, integrating factors of sociodemographics, number/type of social collaborations, technological communication use, and SRHK, was developed to assess familiarity with sexual and reproductive health perceptions. The survey was provided to consenting patients in an ambulatory, primary care setting. …

Source Effects Of Health Information And Digital Health Literacy Among College Students: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Perspective, Julia Morton

LSU Master's Theses

While advertising and persuasion is a widely researched area in mass communication, the impact of health marketing on consumer behavior remains a relatively new arena. The complex health information landscape online is comprised of both public health organizations seeking to improve health behaviors as well as businesses seeking to sell their products or services. It is well documented in the communication literature that the source of information can impact the recipient in a multitude of ways. Digital health literacy is undoubtedly an essential skill for anyone interacting with health information online, spurring the question, do individuals with low and high …

Reporting Risk, Producing Prejudice How News Reporting On Obesity Shapes Attitudes About Health Risk, Policy, And Prejudice, Abigail C. Saguy, David Frederick, Kjerstin Gruys

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

News reporting on research studies may influence attitudes about health risk, support for public health policies, or attitudes towards people labeled as unhealthy or at risk for disease. Across five experiments (N = 2123) we examined how different news framings of obesity research influence these attitudes. We exposed participants to either a control condition, a news report on a study portraying obesity as a public health crisis, a news report on a study suggesting that obesity may not be as much of a problem as previously thought, or an article discussing weight-based discrimination. Compared to controls, exposure to the public …

Tackling Overweight And Obesity: Does The Public Health Message Match The Science?, Katherine Hafekost, David Lawrence, Francis Mitrou, Therese O'Sullivan, Stephen R. Zubrick

Research outputs 2013

Background

Despite the increasing understanding of the mechanisms relating to weight loss and maintenance, there are currently no validated public health interventions that are able to achieve sustained long-term weight loss or to stem the increasing prevalence of obesity in the population. We aimed to examine the models of energy balance underpinning current research about weight-loss intervention from the field of public health, and to determine whether they are consistent with the model provided by basic science. EMBASE was searched for papers published in 2011 on weight-loss interventions. We extracted details of the population, nature of the intervention, and key …

Social Cognitive Theory Vs. Social Comparison Theory: Examining The Relationship Between Social Influence And Weight Loss, Emily Grigg

Masters Theses

This qualitative study investigated the impact of social influence on weight loss, more specifically, the internal and external elements that effect response and success of those who are trying to lose weight. The research focused on three questions: (1) How great of an influence does self-efficacy have in weight loss success? (2) How great of an influence does social comparison have in weight loss success? (3) Which factor has the largest impact on weight loss: self-efficacy, peer efficacy, or positive social support, or negative social support? Data was collected by the researcher conducting semi-structured interviews. These interview were conducted with …

Women's Health And Fitness Magazines: An Accurate Portrayal?, Jennifer M. Shymansky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a content analysis examining the representation of health information, particularly the leading causes of death, in cover story headlines of one year of the top women's health and fitness magazines: Prevention , Shape , Fitness , Self , Health and Women's Health. The study is grounded in social responsibility theory, a normative media theory. The findings show that women's health and fitness magazines' cover story headlines predominately discuss diet and exercise for weight loss, rather than the leading causes of death facing women. This under representation of actual societal health concerns can limit the vast readerships' health …