Health communication
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Health communication · Apr 2021
A Subjective Culture Approach to Cancer Prevention: Rural Black and White Adults' Perceptions of Using Virtual Health Assistants to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening.
In the US, Black adults are less likely than White adults to be screened for colorectal cancer (CRC). This study uses a subjective culture approach to describe and compare perceptions of a CRC screening intervention delivered via virtual health assistants (VHAs) among rural Black and White study participants. We analyzed 28 focus groups with Black (n = 85) and White (n = 69) adults aged 50-73. ⋯ Black participants expressed a preference for receiving information about their CRC risk from the VHA compared with White adults. Black participants also expressed the importance of sharing the intervention and the CRC screening messages with younger members of their networks, including family members who could benefit from screening messages before reaching the recommended age for screening. The key similarities and differences between Black and White adults' perceptions of the intervention that were identified in this study can help inform future efforts to develop effective communication strategies and reduce cancer screening inequities.
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Health communication · Jan 2021
Communicating Scientific Uncertainty in an Age of COVID-19: An Investigation into the Use of Preprints by Digital Media Outlets.
In this article, we investigate the surge in use of COVID-19-related preprints by media outlets. Journalists are a main source of reliable public health information during crises and, until recently, journalists have been reluctant to cover preprints because of the associated scientific uncertainty. Yet, uploads of COVID-19 preprints and their uptake by online media have outstripped that of preprints about any other topic. ⋯ Outlets in our sample were much less likely to identify the research they mentioned as preprint research, compared to identifying it as simply "research." This work has significant implications for public health communication within the changing media landscape. While current best practices in public health risk communication promote identifying and promoting trustworthy sources of information, the uptake of preprint research by online media presents new challenges. At the same time, it provides new opportunities for fostering greater awareness of the scientific uncertainty associated with health research findings.
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Health communication · Jan 2021
Association of COVID-19 Misinformation with Face Mask Wearing and Social Distancing in a Nationally Representative US Sample.
Wide-spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges for communicating public health recommendations. Should campaigns to promote protective behaviors focus on debunking misinformation or targeting behavior-specific beliefs? To address this question, we examine whether belief in COVID-19 misinformation is directly associated with two behaviors (face mask wearing and social distancing), and whether behavior-specific beliefs can account for this association and better predict behavior, consistent with behavior-change theory. We conducted a nationally representative two-wave survey of U. ⋯ Beliefs about behavioral outcomes accounted for face mask wearing and social distancing, both cross-sectionally (B =.43, SE =.05; B =.63, SE =.09) and lagged over time (B =.20, SE = 04; B =.30, SE =.08). In conclusion, belief in COVID-19-related misinformation is less relevant to protective behaviors, but beliefs about the consequences of these behaviors are important predictors. With regard to misinformation, we recommend health campaigns aimed at promoting protective behaviors emphasize the benefits of these behaviors, rather than debunking unrelated false claims.
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought forward the centrality of public communication as a force for information, and in highlighting the differential impact on diverse segments of the society. Information and communication technologies-led developments including social media have previously been discussed as instruments of democratization of knowledge. However, the evidence so far shows that the promise remains unfulfilled as upper socioeconomic groups acquire information at a faster rate than others. ⋯ We raise the question of whether the tremendous flow of scientific information during the COVID-19 pandemic has a differential impact on different socioeconomic groups. We propose that more systematic research is urgently needed to understand how mis/disinformation originate, spread and what their consequences are. In our view, research in health communication inequalities is foundational to mitigating the current off-line and online ravages of the pandemic.
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Social media, specifically Pinterest with more than 175 million users, has changed the way people seek and share health information. Recent consumer interest in natural products has led to an increase of shared recipes for homemade products including sunscreen. Homemade sunscreen products are risky because they are not regulated or tested for efficacy like commercial sunscreens. ⋯ However, this study revealed widespread interest and acceptance of insufficient sun protection information. Pinterest and the interest in homemade recipes for sunscreen present an opportunity for public health professionals to proactively engage on social media. Abbreviations: US: United States; SPF: sun protection factor; USFDA: United states food and drug administration; UV: ultraviolet.