Importance of health communication in public Health

The global health challenges posed by major threats. Scholars and practitioners of health communications identify the importance of prevention and to understand behavioral aspects of humans through the prism of theory prioritising the role of risk perception (1,2), social norms (3,4), emotions(5,6) and uncertainty(7) in health behaviours.

The use of health communication principles in public health has many challenges. First, it is difficult to conduct randomized controlled trials of communication interventions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop innovative methodological and statistical approaches for attributing the observed outcomes to any visit or intervention. Moreover, evaluations become challenging since the nature of health communication is often responsive and interactive, leading to changes in the intervention content.

Furthermore, behavioural scientists recognize the complexity associated with designing and testing multilevel interventions that account for the influence of interlinked levels on human behaviour. Health Communication is gaining recognition in part because of its emphasis on combining theory and practice in understanding communication processes and changing human behaviour.

Finally, the quick development of the communication channels warrants the need for continuous adaptations of the interventions in health communication to the level of technology use of the audience. (8)

References:

1. Witte K. Fear control and danger control: a test of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). Commun Monogr 1994;61:113-34.
2. Rimal RN, Real K. Perceived risk and efficacy beliefs as motivators of change: use of the risk perception attitude (RPA) framework to understand health behaviors. Hum Commun Res 2003;29:370-99 doi:10.1111/j.1468- 2958.2003.tb00844.x
3. Lapinski MK, Rimal RN. An explication of social norms. Commun Theory 2005;15:127-47. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2885.2005.tb00329.x
4. Rimal RN, Real K. How behaviors are influenced by perceived norms: a test of the theory of normative social behavior. Communic Res 2005;32:389-414. doi:10.1177/0093650205275385
5. Nabi RL. A cognitive-functional model for the effects of discrete negative emotions on information processing, attitude change, and recall. Commun Theory 1999;9:292-320. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2885.1999.tb00172.x
6. Mitchell MM, Brown KM, Morris-Villagran M, Villagran PD. The effects of anger, sadness and happiness on persuasive message processing: a test of the negative state relief model. Commun Monogr 2001;68:347-59. doi:10.1080/03637750128070
7. Brashers DE. Communication and uncertainty management. J Commun 2001;51:477-97. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02892.x