Health Communication最新文献

Awe, a self-transcendent emotion that can transform our egocentric perspective, has the potential to reduce the resistance to freedom-threatening messages. However, no research has yet offered empirical evidence in health and environmental communication contexts. The present research aims to bridge this gap by explicating whether and how awe alleviates psychological reactance induced by threat-to-freedom messages. We conducted a survey (N = 353, Study 1) and an online experiment (N = 419, Study 2) to examine whether trait awe and video-induced state awe can improve persuasion outcomes by mitigating psychological reactance. Results showed that trait awe was negatively associated with trait reactance. Additionally, state awe dampened state reactance by elevating self-transcendence and diminishing the perceptions of threat to freedom and reactance, which improved one's attitudes toward the message advocacy and behavioral intentions. However, this effect was only supported with the issue of climate change rather than sun protection. Theoretical contributions and practical implications for leveraging awe appeal in strategic communication are discussed.

As COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy remains a major public health issue, understanding the factors influencing attitudes and COVID-19 vaccination intentions is a public health priority. Applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examined the role of two forms of social trust - namely, particularized trust toward relationally close others and generalized trust toward people in general - in moderating the relationship between social norms (injunctive and descriptive) and COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and intent. In two studies (n = 235 for Study 1, n = 273 for Study 2, total N = 508), we found some support for the TPB in the context of COVID-19 vaccination, with attitudes and injunctive norms significantly predicting vaccination intention. However, perceived behavioral control was not a significant predictor of COVID-19 vaccination intention. Extending the TPB, we found that trust in others had an amplifying effect on the relationship between descriptive norms and COVID-19 vaccination attitudes. However, trust attenuated the link between injunctive norms and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The current study concentrates on individual's media experiences during public health crises - especially media experiences of fear and issue fatigue regarding COVID-19 news media coverage - and their relationship to mental distress. Specifically, we aim to examine potential transactional effects and ask whether media experiences are only a cause or also a consequence of mental distress throughout a health crisis. Utilizing a three-wave panel survey of German citizens (n  = 856), the study employs two random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs). RI-CLPMs distinguish stable between-person differences from temporal within-person changes, facilitating a nuanced understanding of transactional dynamics. Our study shows distinct relationships between media experiences and mental distress. While the respondents' experiences of issue fatigue led to subsequent changes in their depressive symptoms, which, in turn, influenced subsequent changes in their issue fatigue at the within-person level, media-related fear experience was strongly associated with depressive symptoms only at the between-person level. Thus, our findings demonstrate a causal transactional relationship between media experiences of issue fatigue and mental distress that evolves over time. Media experiences of fear, however, appear to be a consequence of trait-like differences between individuals rather than a result of intraindividual change.

Dementia poses a huge challenge - not only to the persons living with the condition but also to their family and friends. Recent research has demonstrated that engaging in creative activities can serve as a coping mechanism to deal with the dementia of a loved one. An art exhibition was created to communicate this insight to a broader audience. As indicated by interviews with exhibitors and visitors as well as an analysis of notes that visitors left in the exhibition, the exhibition helped generating important knowledge regarding the usefulness of creative activities, opened new perspectives on dementia, and provided a platform for exchange and solidarity that inspired individuals to think and behave differently. In sum, this suggests that arts-based exhibitions can be a powerful tool for health communication and science communication and for broadening the societal discourse in the context of dementia.

It is known that older adults are more susceptible to misinformation, and older adults sharing health misinformation is a growing concern. This study explores the factors influencing health misinformation sharing and relational correction among Chinese older adults from a cultural perspective. Guided by the PEN-3 cultural model, we conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with 79 participants in China to understand the cultural and contextual factors of misinformation sharing. We found that (a) older adults actively shared health misinformation influenced by negative factors such as values of familial ties, need for respect, reciprocity, and initiation of conversation; (b) existential factors such as fact-checking tendency; (c) positive factors such as fatal information avoidance, political identify, awareness of marketing targeting, and social responsibility. Additionally, we found that older adults tend to switch to a silent mode of relational correction for factors such as harmony and face. This research extends the model's applicability and provides localized insights for developing culturally sensitive health communication strategies to mitigate the spread of health misinformation.

We often rely on descriptive norm perceptions as a mental shortcut for decision making. However, less is known about how such perceptions are shaped and modified by our experiences in day-to-day life. The interactive nature of the current media environment offers opportunities for individuals to access others' health behavior choices through online user-generated content. Within a setting of online comment boards, the current study examined the descriptive norm perception modification process toward vaping with a large-scale experiment that systematically varied levels of exposure to online commenters' vaping behavior choice indications. Findings revealed a significant positive effect of behavior prevalence on descriptive norm perceptions, which in turn were positively associated with vaping intention. This set of results was observed only when a sufficient total amount of comment exposures was ensured. The study provided empirical evidence for the underlying mechanism of the "quasi-statistical sense," which helps people draw conclusions about behavior prevalence and may influence their behavioral decision making. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Previous health communication research has demonstrated the negative psychological and health effects of depicting thin-sized models in mass media advertisements including on social media sites such as Instagram. However, gym advertisements are one common source for the presentation of lean and thin-sized models on Instagram. Therefore, the current study guided by social comparison theory and signaling theory aimed to experimentally examine the effect of thin-sized models relative to plus-sized models as well as slogan-type (health and wellness versus physique-based) on women's appearance comparison, body satisfaction, perceived gym fit, and intentions to join the gym. A sample of 217 undergraduate students who identified as women were randomly assigned to one of four Instagram gym advertisement conditions varying in model body-size and slogan-type. Appearance comparisons, perceived gym fit, and intentions to join the gym were measured post advertisement exposure and body satisfaction was measured pre-and-post advertisement exposure. As expected, exposure to Instagram gym advertisements featuring thin-sized models resulted in greater appearance comparisons and lower body satisfaction than exposure to Instagram gym advertisements featuring plus-sized models. Moreover, the combination of plus-sized models with health and wellness slogans in Instagram gym advertisements resulted in greater gym fit perceptions although there was no effect of model body-size and slogan-type on intentions to join the gym. This study supports social comparison theory, signaling theory, and practically the findings indicate that Instagram gym advertisements that depict plus-sized models (versus thin) with health-and-wellness slogans (versus physique) generate fewer body image concerns and lead to greater gym fit perceptions.

Health communication scholars are becoming increasingly cognizant of the potential health implications of youths' pornography consumption. However, while research on pornography viewing and adolescent health and development has become increasingly common, the possible importance of distinguishing between mainstream and paraphilic consumption and within-and-between person dynamics has been underemphasized. Accordingly, the present study explored relations between adolescents' preferences for mainstream and paraphilic pornography and their sexual satisfaction and sexual arousability in three-wave panel data using random intercept cross-lagged panel models. At a between-person level, only mainstream pornography viewing was positively related to adolescents' sexual arousability. No relations were found between mainstream and paraphilic pornography viewing and sexual satisfaction at a between-person level. Results further revealed that an increased exposure to mainstream pornography and paraphilic pornography was not associated with sexual arousability and sexual satisfaction at the individual level. Null findings regarding paraphilic pornography viewing may be explained by the presence of a floor effect. Further, no differences in the investigated relations were found between sexually inexperienced and experienced adolescents, and between single adolescents and adolescents in a relationship. The findings are discussed in light of recent commentary on the uses of random-intercept cross-lagged panel models in the communication discipline.

This collaborative autoethnography explores the experiences of women academics and mothers who received late diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Due to the historical underdiagnosis of women, little research has focused on this specific demographic. We shed light on how ADHD presents in women, interweaving our stories with extant literature and emphasizing the need to understand this demographic's experiences better. This piece discusses our process of seeking diagnosis and treatment, the communicative disenfranchisement we faced, and the stigma associated with ADHD. Our narratives highlight the generational impact of ADHD, with family members often sharing our diagnosis. Through divulging our experiences, we hope to contribute to the destigmatization of ADHD, particularly for women and academics.

In China, lung cancer is the most common cancer with high mortality. While prior research suggests that health information scanning influences cancer screening within the general population, a deeper exploration of the underlying mechanisms is imperative. This study specifically targets smokers, aiming to investigate whether online health information scanning can effectively encourage lung cancer screening and elucidate the mechanisms driving this association. Data were extracted from a Chinese national survey conducted between January and September 2023, exclusively involving current smokers (N = 992). A moderated mediation model was employed to examine a cognitive-affective sequential chain of mediation through risk perceptions and cancer worry. Results showed that 99.1% of Chinese smokers reported online health information scanning, which possessed significant influence. Online health information scanning was positively associated with effective lung cancer screening among smokers directly (OR = 1.927, p < .01) and indirectly (OR = .065, p < .001). The perceived threat of smoking and cancer worry served as the cognitive and affective mediating mechanisms. Furthermore, a moderating effect of eHealth literacy was observed (OR = 6.292, p < .05). Smokers with higher eHealth literacy are more inclined to undergo effective lung cancer screening. Based on these findings, public health sectors should leverage online platforms to disseminate tailored cancer screening education and implement initiatives to enhance public eHealth literacy.