Health Communication Commons^™

Drug Use And Harm Reduction: Community Readiness As Pathway To Well-Being And Reintegration, Lauretta Ekanem Omale

Dissertations

Drug abuse negatively impacts the life and well-being of those who use drugs; this harm often extends to their loved ones, communities, and society. One presumptive set of psychological explanations for drug abuse is an addictive personality, a psychological susceptibility resulting from challenging family relationships, inadequate reinforcement, the absence of healthy role models, conflicting parental expectations, and a lack of love and respect. Harm reduction is a public health approach that focuses on minimizing the harmful effects of drugs and reducing judgment. It aims to meet people where they are in life and provide judgment-free, empathetic, supportive, and needed medical …

How Does Parents’ Social Support Impact Children’S Health Practice? Examining A Mediating Role Of Health Knowledge, Paulin Tay Straughan, Chengwei Xu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Family environmental factors play a vital role in shaping children’s health practices (e.g., obesity prevention). It is still unclear how parents’ social support affects children’s obesity-related health practices. The present study argues that whether parents’ social support positively associates with children’s obesity-related health practice depends on if it could promote parents’ obesity-related health knowledge. Thus, we hypothesize that health knowledge mediates the relationship between parents’ social support and children’s health practice regarding weight management. Methods: To test the hypothesis, we conducted a questionnaire survey and collected a nationally representative sample of 1488 household responses in Singapore. The survey included …

Strategy For Expanding Nutrition Professionals’ Competency: A Pilot Case Study In Dissemination And Implementation Science Training, Ayron E. Walker, Elizabeth A. Claydon, Samantha E. Scarneo-Miller, Daniel Totzkay, Melissa D. Olfert

Health Behavior Research

Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) science trainings are essential to build knowledge among a variety of current and future health professionals.

The objective of this study was to pilot-test and assess implementation of a nutrition-specific D&I science training.

Participants (students enrolled in nutrition and public health programs) completed pre/post surveys and exit interviews. Descriptive statistics and a qualitative thematic analysis used deductive coding; in which coding and theme development are directed by existing concepts. Initial coding was completed by one researcher and validated by an additional researcher to describe and provide examples of the categories the Kirkpatrick Model and Implementation Outcomes …

“You Are The Key”: A Co-Design Project To Reduce Disparities In Black Veterans’ Communication With Healthcare Providers, Anna M. Barker, Renda S. Wiener, Dave Crocker, Makayla Dones, Oluwabunmi Emidio, Abigail N. Herbst, Jenesse Kaitz, Lauren Kearney, Danielle Miano, Gemmae M. Fix

Patient Experience Journal

Interventions are needed to overcome a key barrier to patient-provider communication, namely that patients hesitate to participate in clinical conversations because they believe their expected role is to be passive. This expectation is reinforced for veterans, who replicate their experience of military hierarchy in the patient-provider relationship. Black veterans, moreover, encounter structural racism that compounds this power imbalance. This paper describes a co-designed intervention to empower Black veterans to talk with providers, using shared decision-making (SDM) for lung cancer screening (LCS) as an exemplar. We worked with a diverse group of 5 veterans to develop materials that normalize participating in …

Breaking The Transactional Mindset: A New Path For Healthcare Leadership Built On A Commitment To Human Experience, Kirsten Krull, Jerry Mansfield, Jennifer Gentry, Karen Grimley, Barbara Jacobs, Jason Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

Numerous health care publications have focused on the compelling need to improve patient experience and the associated improvements necessary to address workforce well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and illuminated long-standing problems in health care including workforce shortages, inequity in health care delivery outcomes, care provider burnout, and overall societal structural racism.^1,2 The Beryl Institute’s Nursing Executive Council (NEC) manuscript Rebuilding a Foundation of Trust: A Call to Action in Creating a Safe Environment for Everyone³ focused on actions and behaviours to heal relationships and build trust between care providers and leaders with commitments to safety, empathy, shared decision …

"Talk To Your Doctor:" A Rhetorical Analysis Of Burkean Identification In Direct-To-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertisements, Sophia N. Bates, Valerie Lynn Schrader

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In this article, we use rhetorical criticism as a research method to apply Burkean identification to four direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical television commercials, suggesting that the commercials create a state of consubstantiality with the audience. The identification strategies of common ground, the assumed “we” through the use of the word “you,” and dissociation are utilized in these commercials to inspire consumers to initiate a conversation with their doctor about their healthcare needs. Based on the success direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements have had with inspiring patients to engage in a dialogue with healthcare providers, Burkean identification could have significant implications when used in other …

Public Communication Of Science: The Experience Of The Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer’S Disease Resource Center For Minority Aging Research, Amanda J. Guerrero, Rosa V. Pirela, Gladys E. Maestre

Research Colloquium

Introduction: There are multiple models of public communication of science. Some models focus on communication within the science community, while others involve public participation. At the Rio Grande Valley AD-RCMAR, we hope to implement a public outreach program to aid in the dissemination of accurate information regarding Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to identify behavioral change models that will allow the RGV AD-RCMAR to increase awareness and engagement of brain aging, including Alzheimer’s disease, within the Rio Grande Valley.

Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify models of behavioral change that will …

Sicilian Semi- And Supercentenarians: Age-Related Nk Cell Immunophenotype And Longevity Trait Definition, Mattia Emanuela Ligotti, Giulia Accardi, Anna Aiello, Anna Calabrò, Calogero Caruso, Anna Maria Corsale, Francesco Dieli, Marta Di Simone, Serena Meraviglia, Giuseppina Candore

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

The immune system of semi- and super-centenarians (i.e., the oldest centenarians) is believed to have peculiar characteristics that enable them to reach extreme longevity in a relatively healthy state. Therefore, in previous papers, we investigated, through flow cytometry, variations in the percentages of the main subsets of Tαβ and Tγδ cells in a Sicilian cohort of 28 women and 26 men (age range 19-110 years), including 11 long-living individuals (>90 years old) and 8 oldest centenarians. These investigations suggested that some observed immunophenotypic changes may contribute to the extreme longevity of the oldest centenarians. In the present study, to …

Comparing Ways To Ask Patients About Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity In The Emergency Department (Ed), Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Sexual and gender minority patients report higher satisfaction and comfort with ED encounters when SO/GI is collected along with other demographic information via a nonverbal, written method during patient registration.

The Pornography Industry's Disinformation Campaign On Addiction Recovery Resources, Darryl Mead

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

As pornography became increasingly popular online, many unsuspecting consumers reported adverse effects. These included sexual dysfunctions, such as lack of response with real partners, delayed ejaculation, erectile difficulties, and sexual compulsivity. Some pornography consumers began congregating in online self-help portals (forums and websites) to assist one another in quitting or reducing problematic pornography use. The popularity of the self-help resources and their potential to dampen the profits of a lucrative industry resulted in disinformation campaigns run by individuals connected to the pornography industry. In this article, I examine how a paper containing significant inaccuracies about the people organising the online …

How Risk Perceptions And Level Of Trust Of Information Influence Individuals’ Health Services Usage, Wan-Lin Chang

Research Symposium

Background: When facing health-related issues, decision-making is not an easy thing. Some people look for advice from health care professionals, and some people trust their family members' and friends’ experiences more. Previous studies in health communication have suggested differences across various demographic groups in information seeking access and skills, including variables related to the knowledge gap assumption and individuals' risk perceptions.

Methods: Multiple linear regression and logistic regression are used to examine how individuals’ health risk perceptions influence their health service usage by analyzing the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycle 4. HINTS conducts national surveys to monitor …

Non-Prescribed Pain Reliever Trends From 2011-2020 And Their Effects On Uninsured Americans’ Mental Health, Samantha M. Guajardo, Wan-Lin Chang

Research Symposium

Background: In 2019, it was reported by the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) that 10.1 million Americans misuse pain relievers, and of those individuals, 50.8% were not prescribed by a health care provider. The same report also indicates that there is a direct correlation between substance use and mental health disorders (NSDUH, 2019). In 2020, the NSDUH reported that 49.5% of Americans do not receive mental health treatment for their substance use disorder. Of that percentage, 30.4% did not receive treatment for health insurance reasons. According to the CDC, 31.6 million Americans reported not being insured in …

What Evidence-Based Medicine (Ebm) Doesn't Say About Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy (Ait), Gabriele Di Lorenzo, Marcello Melluso, Alessandro Rodolico

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Evidence-based allergology for the treatment of allergic rhinitis with allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) has been used in publications by the companies manufacturing AIT. The purpose of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is to provide physicians, health authorities, patients, and their families with the best evidence upon which to base treatment decisions. However, some RCT results may do more harm than good because they serve the commercial interests of the companies producing and marketing AIT more than the interests of patients. Allergic rhinitis is a trivial disease that is not life-threatening and is easily controlled by drugs. In this paper, we analyze some …

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

The 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.

Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions Of Deaf-Hearing Interpreter Teams: Impact Of Interpreting Approaches, Julayne Feilbach

Journal of Interpretation

This study explores the perceptions and preferences of healthcare providers who work with Deaf Interpreter-Hearing Interpreter (DI-HI) teams. Healthcare providers depend on interpreters' ability to bridge the communication and cultural gap to assess and treat patients accurately. Although there have been studies on healthcare providers’ perceptions of interpreters to date, none of the research explores the impact of healthcare providers’ perceptions on their experiences with DI-HI teams. To address this, interviews with nine healthcare practitioners were conducted. As part of the interview, participants were shown a video of two interpreting samples to illustrate different approaches to interpreting. Data were analyzed …

Understanding The Audience In Framing Research: Empirical Evidence From Three Studies Examining Hiv Framing In China, Tianen Chen, Minhao Dai, Nancy Grace Harrington

Faculty and Research Publications

Guided by framing theory, this three-phase mixed-methods study explored (a) how Chinese government-sponsored newspapers frame HIV and (b) framing effects on people’s HIV beliefs. A content analysis of two government-sponsored newspapers and a survey of 210 readers showed discrepancies in frame and frame valence. In-depth follow-up interviews with 15 media and public health experts revealed that the discrepancies were related to people’s attitudes toward the media and beliefs about HIV, which could further be explained by the political environment, media ecology, historical framing, and cultural identities in China. We discuss theoretical implications for framing theory and practical implications for HIV …

Identifying Sources Of Patient Dissatisfaction When Seeking Care For A Chronic And Complex Disease, Katharine J. Head, Anna K. Forster, Amanda Harsin, Rebecca J. Bartlett Ellis

Patient Experience Journal

Patients’ evaluations of healthcare often rely on patient satisfaction and encounter-specific approaches. Instead, valuable information can be gained by focusing on patient dissatisfaction with healthcare over time. This study examined patients’ sources of care dissatisfaction when seeking healthcare for a long-term chronic and complex disease (CCD). Participants with a CCD called polycystic kidney disease (N=387) completed an online questionnaire with an open-ended question about dissatisfying experiences. Content analysis was used to analyze responses. The coded data resulted in conceptual codes related to dissatisfaction with information, support, and care management. Analysis revealed the type of healthcare provider is often …

How Are The Vibes? Patient And Family Experiences Of Rapport During Telehealth Calls In Palliative Care, Wendy English, Jackie Robinson, Merryn Gott

Patient Experience Journal

Interactions with rapport are considered essential to palliative care and beneficial to patient outcomes. With the current interest in telehealth, more knowledge is needed about rapport during telehealth encounters in palliative care from the patient and family viewpoint. The objective of this study was to explore patient and family experiences of rapport with health professionals during telehealth interactions in the community palliative care setting. This was a qualitative Interpretive Description study, with 18 patients and 11 family member participants recruited from four hospice locations in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and audio recorded between November 2020 and May …

Reactions To The U.S. Surgeon General’S Advisory On Social Media & Youth Mental Health, Susannah Stern

Communication Studies: Faculty Scholarship

The United States Surgeon General issued an Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health on May 23 2023. Warnings by the Surgeon General are infrequent, but have the potential to influence the course of history. This survey captures awareness of and reaction to the Advisory. The survey finds that respondents are already convinced that social media influences young people, mostly negatively. The Surgeon General remains a meaningful public health communicator, with substantial reach and some power to influence both beliefs and behaviors. There is widespread agreement that more research is needed to better understand how social media impact youth …

Meet Me In The Middle: A Scoping Review On Understanding Adolescent Needs In Climate Communication, Gwendolyn Monica Hoff Anderson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The greatest effects of climate change are likely to be felt by youth. Young people are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their critical developmental stage and lack of power, and they experience both higher severity and prevalence of mental health issues related to climate change. Strong emotions have long been recognized as potential catalysts for action, or they may lead to paralyzing feelings of being overwhelmed. Climate communication is a critical tool to spark climate concern and encourage action. Activism, in turn, may help youth manage their anxiety about climate change. This scoping review examines emerging evidence on …