Journal of Health Communication最新文献

Applying the secondary risk theory, this study experimentally tested whether highlighting the severity and susceptibility of the risks of mammogram influenced women's threat appraisal and intention to get a mammogram, accounting for their threat appraisal and efficacy appraisal of the primary risk - breast cancer. Results demonstrated that secondary risk appraisal indeed decreased participants' intention to get a mammogram. Moreover, personal relevance served as a boundary condition that determined the strength of this relationship.

The extent to which social norms can be changed through social media and whether those changes affect behaviors are questions raised in this paper. Using the Theory of Normative Social Behavior, we do so in the context of promoting childhood immunization in slum areas in India, where rates remain critically low. We used a quasi-experimental design to compare outcomes across three arms: a no-intervention Control Arm (n = 602), a Vaccine Arm (n = 626) that received information about vaccines through text, audio, and video on WhatsApp, and a Wellness Arm (n = 651) that received information about vaccines and wellness (breastfeeding, handwashing, and nutrition) in the same format and frequency as the Vaccine Arm. Longitudinal data were collected at baseline and end-line from all three arms. Significant improvements in descriptive and injunctive norms about vaccination, self-efficacy, and vaccination intentions were observed in the Vaccine Arm, compared to the Control Arm. The two (descriptive and injunctive) norms also improved significantly in the Wellness Arm, compared to the Control Arm. Changes in self-efficacy and descriptive norms also affected changes in intentions. These findings provide a pathway for future interventions, to improve social norms as a way to improve vaccination. We discuss a few mechanisms for doing so.

Coitus interruptus - colloquially referred to as withdrawal - is an attempt at contraception wherein the penis is removed from the vagina prior to ejaculation, with ejaculation occurring somewhere outside the vagina. Although withdrawal can reduce the risk of pregnancy, it is less efficacious than methods such as consistent condom use and hormonal birth control. Consequently, it is of public health importance to identify sociocultural influences that either increase or decrease the likelihood of withdrawal as a contraceptive technique. Multiple content analyses have identified external ejaculation as common in popular pornography, yet no study appears to have assessed whether more frequent pornography consumption increases the likelihood of withdrawal behavior. Using national probability data, the present study examined whether pornography use and withdrawal were correlated among U.S. women aged 15-49. Women who consumed pornography more frequently were more likely to report using withdrawal as a contraceptive method than women who consumed pornography less frequently, but this association was moderated by perceptions of pornography's utility and women's marital status. Results are discussed through the lens of the sexual script acquisition, activation, application model (₃AM) of sexual media socialization.

Background: Searching for health information is critical for maintaining one's health and reducing risk of disease, including cancer. However, some people are more likely to experience challenges in finding and comprehending health information; therefore, it is important to measure health information-seeking behavior. In order to add to prior research conducted with the scale, this study provides the first formal evaluation of the validity and reliability of the four-item, cancer-focused Information Seeking Experience (ISEE) scale in a cross-sectional, nationally representative health survey of U.S. adults.

Results: Results indicated that the four ISEE scale items were within limits of normality (skew range = -.44-.11; kurtosis range = -1.07 - -.71), exhibited medium to strong pairwise correlations (r's = .54-.72), and indicated a strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .85). The scale was unidimensional (CFI = .997, TLI = .992, SRMR = .012), and the scale demonstrated construct validity with known sociodemographic characteristics. As predicted, the ISEE scale had relatively weak relationships with the Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression and Anxiety, Patient-Centered Communication Scale, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Instrumental Support 4a, demonstrating discriminant validity.

Conclusions: Tracking information-seeking experience in the population is critical, especially to inform efforts that ensure individuals have accessible, understandable, and reliable information about cancer. The ISEE scale was found to assess various aspects of cancer information-seeking in a reliable and valid manner and may be used in future surveys to track information support needs of those who seek health and cancer information.

Health communication stands at a critical juncture, amidst rapid digital transformation, fragile public trust, and the expanding influence of AI. The field must move towards reasserting its role in advancing credible, inclusive, and dialogic systems of knowledge, practice, and engagement. Drawing on co-authorship network analysis, this article maps the intellectual trajectory of the Journal of Health Communication. It identifies key patterns of collaboration, thematic shifts, and responsiveness to sociopolitical and technological change. Through this empirical and rhetorical synthesis, we reveal how intellectual influence, methodological orientation, and issue prioritization have shaped the development and contours in its ongoing transformation. It sheds light on the dominant frameworks and overlooked areas within health communication research, offering direction for how the field can strengthen its adaptability, equity, and credibility in the digital era.

Infectious disease-related mis- and disinformation (IDRMD) can impact health behavior. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based approach for healthcare practitioners to engage with patients who express IDRMD. We developed and pilot tested a workshop-style curriculum for physician assistant (PA) students using an edutainment approach that included (1) a didactic session around identifying IDRMD and an MI approach, (2) viewing television clips from ER and Chicago Med where patients express IDRMD, and (3) rewriting scripts from each clip using an MI approach. We evaluated the curriculum with pre- and post-curricular surveys (response rate 97%, n = 35). Most participants identified as female (80%, n = 28) and White (94%, n = 33). After curriculum implementation, participants demonstrated significant improvements in their ability to identify IDRMD and comfort using an MI approach with patients who express IDRMD (p = .04 and p < .001, respectively). Six themes emerged from qualitative analysis of responses to an open-ended item assessing anticipated behavior change with patients, with almost half (49%, n = 17) mentioning engaging with patients with empathy, a core tenant of an MI approach. An edutainment-based curriculum, which is scalable and adaptable for other health science students, may be efficacious at improving PA students' ability to use an MI approach when patients express IDRMD.

Given the popularity of anti-vaccine memes, understanding how to craft appealing and memorable messaging to counteract potentially misleading user-generated content (UGC) is essential. This research investigates the impact of message strategy on memorability and behavioral intention using Taylor's Six-Segment Message Strategy Wheel (SSSW) within the high-involvement product category of vaccines. Participants used the SSSW to evaluate existing web-based anti-vaccine UGC or memes. Pro-vaccination counter-messaging, aligned with strategy and decision-making style, was tested. The results reveal emotionally connected messages were most memorable, even with low message frequency. This finding also suggests that emotional cues are processed differently than logical arguments and should be given a distinct processing route in cognitive models such as the ELM (Elaboration Likelihood Model).

The 30th anniversary of the Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives occurs at a pivotal moment. In our inaugural issue in 1996, founding editor Scott Ratzan described his vision "to promote global health with effective communication strategies to improve health outcomes and well-being." Since then, JOHC has consistently championed rigorous and forward-thinking research and perspectives that have helped shape today's multi-disciplinary practice. As we mark this milestone and honor the Journal's legacy, we must also confront the pressing challenges that define the current landscape of health communication. We live in an era where scientific reasoning is increasingly questioned by policymakers, patients, and the public alike. The institutions that have traditionally upheld evidence-based practice have lost trust, respect and authority. In this evolving context, health communication cannot remain a static field. In the decades ahead, the Journal must take an active and unapologetic stance-maintaining the highest ethics while driving innovation in digital health communication, scientific methodology, data interpretation and translation for better uptake. Its mission must be to accelerate measurable global health gains by advancing communication strategies that not only inform, but inspire trust, foster agency, and empower individuals and populations to make evidence-based choices they willingly and confidently adopt.