Health Communication and Port Harcourt Residents’ Perception of the Coverage of Diabetes Mellitus in Select Newspapers

Abstract

This work analysed health communication and Port Harcourt residents’ perception of newspaper coverage of diabetes. The objectives were to: examine the level of exposure of Port Harcourt residents to the diabetes health messages; examine the perception of Port Harcourt residents on newspaper coverage of diabetes. The work was anchored on the Perception theory and development media theory. The population in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor is projected from 2006 census to 2022 using the 2.5 projection rate. Therefore, the population for this study shall be ( 6,498,395 ) six million, four hundred and ninety-eight thousand three hundred and ninety-five (UNDP). The sample size of 400 was drawn using the Krejice and Morgan sample size table. The purposive sampling technique was used to select residents of Port Harcourt who are newspaper readers. Findings revealed that residents’ of Port Harcourt get diabetes messages from newspapers and other channels like family and friends, television and most importantly from broadcast medium The study also showed that residents’ of Port Harcourt Metropolis have a positive view on the newspaper been adequate for the coverage of health issues which also includes diabetes mellitus. The study recommended that Nigerian newspapers should publish editorials, features and photographs on diabetes prevention and management and other health related issues, because it will help increase the awareness of readers and help them appreciate prevention and management of diabetes intervention and other health intervention programmes available to them.