1/17/2018 1 COMM3313: COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH Introduction: Putting Theory into Practice in Public Health THE HISTORY OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION AS A FIELD OF STUDY Fields: Interpersonal comm. Sociology psychology Social Cognition Social work Topics of interests: Provider‐patient comm. Patient‐caregiver interactions Social support Social stigma Information/uncertainty management Fields: Organizational Comm. Communication & Technology Business Management Topics of interests: HMOs risk communication Interdisciplinary health teams Inter/intraorganizational communication in health settings Technology implementation Interpersonal Contexts Organizational Contexts THE HISTORY OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION AS A FIELD OF STUDY Fields: Persuasive communication Interpersonal communication Media studies Public health Social work Topics of interests: Behavioral Change One‐time health behavior Long‐term lifestyle change/ maintenance Social Inequality Policy, advocacy, & organizational changes Interests in multi‐level interventions: individual, interpersonal, community, institutional, policy levels Public Health: Health Education and Health Campaigns THE INCREASING INTERESTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH Chronic illness as a long‐term life issues Advancement in medicine Identification of illnesses Preventive care as standards of care Vaccination Genetic testing Exercise Awareness in cultural & environmental factors/concerns Social stigma Ethnic/racial/global health disparity HEALTH EDUCATION Scope: Individual’s behavior → System‐level concerns Definitions: Bringing about behavioral changes in individuals, groups, and larger populations from behaviors that are presumed to be detrimental to health, to behaviors that are conductive to present and future health (Simonds, 1976) Any combination of learning experiences designed to facilitate voluntary adaptations of behavior conductive to health (Green, 1990) Emphasis: Voluntary, informed behavior changes WHAT IS HEALTH BEHAVIOR? Preventive health behavior Any activity undertaken by an individual who believes himself/herself to be healthy, for the purpose of preventing or detecting illness in an asymptomatic state Illness behavior Any activity undertaken by an individual who perceives himself/herself to be ill, to define the state of health, and to discover a suitable remedy Sick‐role behavior Any activity undertaken by an individual who considers himself/herself to be ill, for the purpose of getting well. 1/17/2018 2 PARSON’S SICK ROLE The sick person is exempted from normal social role responsibilities cannot get well by an act of decision or will is obligated to get well is obligated to seek technically competent help HEALTH EDUCATION Health behavior is the central concern of health education Settings for HE: evolved from thr.