Ritu Awasthi,Deptt. of Journalism and Mass Communication

BHU, Varanasi

When communication is used strategically to disseminate messages related to health, make people aware about diseases, encourage them to adopt healthy practices, sustain positive healthy behavior, empower them to make healthy choices in their life……….

Then this communication is HEALTH COMMUNICATION

Health Communication encompasses the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health*.

Links communication+health Necessary element to improve personal and

public health

Piotrow, Kincaid, Rimon

Interdisciplinary field Evolved from Psychology, public and

community health and nursing Kreps and Thortons’ (1984) Health

Communication: Theory and Practice Sharf_s (1984) The Physician_s Guide to

Better Communication Northouse and Northouse_s (1985) Health

Communication: A Handbook for Professionals

Therapeutic Communication interest group of the International Communication Association (ICA) formed in 1972

Therapeutic Communication changed to Health Communication in 1975 ICA convention

Dedicated Journal of Health Communication started in 1996

Tuft University School of Medicine was the first to offer HC courses in US

Centers for Disease Control, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute for Drug Abuse have become increasingly more familiar with the field of health communication and receptive to health communication research

CDC is a reference site for major diseases, epidemics, outbreaks

Health professional-patient relationship Individuals’ exposure to, search for, and use of

health information Individuals’ adherence to clinical

recommendations and regimens The construction of public health messages and

campaigns The dissemination of individual and population

health risk information-risk communication Images of health in the mass media and culture

at large

The education of consumers about how to gain access to the public health and health care systems

The development of telehealth applications

For individuals: Raise awareness of health risks and

solutions Provide the motivation and skills needed to

reduce those risk Help them find support from other people in

similar situations Affect or reinforce attitudes

For community: Influence public agenda, advocate for

policies and programs, Promote positive changes in the

socioeconomic and physical environments Improve the delivery of public health and

health care services Encourage social norms that benefit health

and quality of life

Help in bringing about desired changes in people’s belief and behavior or in their physical and social environment

Reduce disease promoting behaviour Increase health promoting behaviour

Interpersonal communication plays a powerful role in changing health behavior

A key element of behavior change interventions BCC involves negotiation with the individual or

community for behavior change It uses dialogue, messages, persuasion,

interpersonal and group communication as a means of exchanging information, ideas, skills and values aimed at bringing about behavior change or adoption of safe behavior

Negotiation happens at all levels and involves several people. Ultimately it involves negotiation with ‘Self’ to practice desired behavior

Not all individuals go through the same steps of the process in the same order, speed or time

People at different steps require different messages and sometimes different approaches.

It is important to know what stage the person is before beginning a communication process

As knowledge and approval reaches high levels, BCC emphasis must shift to later steps◦ identifying cues for action◦ maximizing access and quality of services◦ identifying and removing barriers to change◦ creating opportunities for increased peer advocacy

Behaviour change communication uses a science based approach to communication that involves behavioural sciences, social learning, persuasion theory to achieve realistic targets.

Emphasises on audience involvement and participation throughout the BCC process.

Recognises that behaviour change is much a societal process as it is an individual decision making process.

Interpersonal◦ Interpersonal communication is the preferred

choice for Targeted interventions as it involves a sustained contact and communication with the sub-population

Mass Media◦ Can be used to support Interpersonal

communication efforts and the creation of an enabling environment

Major Theories and Models of Health Comm

Rosenstock, Strecher and Becker, 1994 Perceived Threat: Consists of two parts:

perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of a health condition.

Perceived Susceptibility: One's subjective perception of the risk of

contracting a health condition, Perceived Severity: Feelings concerning the seriousness of contracting an illness or of leaving it untreated

(including evaluations of both medical and clinical consequences and possible social consequences).

Perceived Benefits: The believed effectiveness of strategies designed to reduce the threat of illness.

Perceived Barriers: The potential negative consequences that

may result from taking particular health actions, including physical, psychological, and financial demands.

Cues to Action: Events, either bodily (e.g., physical

symptoms of a health condition) or environmental (e.g., media publicity) that motivate people to take action.

Self-Efficacy: The belief in being able to successfully

execute the behavior required to produce the desired outcomes.

The person needs to have an incentive to change behaviour

The person must feel there is a risk of continuing the current behaviour

The person must believe change will have benefits and these nedd to outweigh the barriers

The person must have the confidence to change the behaviour

Prochaska and Diclemente (1983) People change their behaviour at certain stages

in life rather than making one major change. Stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation Preparation Action Maintenance Relapse

Ajzen and Fishbein 1980Behaviour to perform an action depends on:Attitude to the behaviour-balancing of pros

and consSubjective Norm-social pressure from othersPerceived Behaviour Control-perception that

the person has the ability to perform that behaviour

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Thanks