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This paper argues that enthusiasm for empathy has grown to the point at which empathy has taken on the status of an "ideal" in modern medicine. We need to pause and scrutinize this ideal before moving forward with empathy training programs for medical students. Taking empathy as an ideal obscures the distinction between the multiple aims that calls for empathy seek to achieve. While these aims may work together, they also come apart and yield different recommendations about the sort of behavior physicians should cultivate in a given situation. I begin by demonstrating how enthusiasm for empathy has increased dramatically. I then specify precisely what I mean in calling empathy an "ideal." I then describe some dangers associated with taking empathy to be an ideal unreflectively. I discuss the merits of works that provide conceptualizations of empathy that are specifically tailored for the medical domain and conclude that although these works move discussions about empathy in medical care forward, they could do more to foreground the goals and aims underlying calls for increased empathy. I provide specific suggestions as to how exactly we might foreground these goals and aims to further avoid conceptual confusion about empathy in medical education.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the essential content and amount of information to be collected from people with migraine via a patient-facing smartphone-based migraine tracker for them to share with clinicians during live discussions to assist in optimizing migraine management. The proposed tracker is intended for use in non-interventional research to evaluate disease burden in episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients as assessed by demographic and clinical characteristics and health resource utilization in an integrated delivery network setting. The proposed tracker is not intended for commercial purposes., Background: Epidemiological studies suggest migraine is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Studies of patient-clinician interactions suggest that effective medical communication may help address these issues., Methods: Four migraine practice leaders, an epidemiologist with extensive migraine experience, and a measurement expert took part in a modified Delphi panel process to identify data elements that could be collected from people with migraine through a smartphone-based migraine tracker. Importantly, the proposed tracker would not be intended to replace the patient-clinician encounter but to support the encounter through enabling the patient to document migraine symptoms and experiences in a timely and accurate manner for sharing with a clinician as part of a broader face-to-face discussion. The panel reviewed questions derived from the existing migraine diaries in the public domain, those used in clinical trials, and patient-centric surveys assessing the impact of migraine on physical function and other related concepts. Key considerations included identification of the most clinically useful data elements for a shared communication tool for people with migraine under the care of a clinician. The panel also identified numerous functionality requirements for such a tool and provided recommendations on the most effective way to present results to a clinician., Results: The expert panel opined that people with migraine may value the ability to capture a relatively broad range of information for their own migraine-tracking purposes, while clinicians will likely find greater value in a small set of data relevant to the management of migraine. The panel identified the 3 most essential concepts in categories of data for a clinician, for which they coined the term "The 3 Fs": Frequency of days with headache; Frequency of acute medication usage; and Functional impairment. Information on the frequency of days with headache was felt to combine with the information on the frequency of acute medication usage to provide essential insights into current migraine management strategy and its outcomes, and to assist considerations of preventive measures. Functional impairment was treated as an effective surrogate for headache severity and was assessed based on the following: degree of difficulty in performing activities of daily living, impact on absenteeism (taking leave from work or cancelling/avoiding other activities) and presenteeism (performing work or other daily activities, with reduced productivity/capability), and amount of rest required as a result of a migraine attack. The modified Delphi panel process resulted in the selection of 13 questions in 8 categories to elicit sufficient and meaningful data comprising headache occurrence, symptoms, daily/preventive and as-needed/acute medication usage, triggers, ability to concentrate, and functional impairment. The panel also agreed that the tracker should generate 2 distinct reports: one for people with migraine that would include a wider range of data about symptoms and perceived triggers, and a targeted report for the clinician that would place prime emphasis on the 3 Fs for aggregating the results of each headache occurrence and the trend over time., Conclusions: A system that easily captures critical data elements about migraine, with specific feedback displays for patients to share with clinicians during live discussions, may offer some benefit to people with migraine and their clinicians by facilitating more objective communication and optimizing management. The tracker's output may enable people with migraine to track a wide range of data for their own purposes, allowing them to better understand their condition, while a synthesized view of the selected data may support more informed clinical decision-making for the clinician and individualized, evidence-based discussion with the patient. As a result, this shared decision-making tool may enable patients to more accurately convey essential migraine information during live patient-clinician discussions to drive improved management and patient outcomes., (© 2018 American Headache Society.)

During major long-term crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, news media are crucial sources of information for the public. This study aimed to explore the frequency of COVID-19-related news consumption based on (1) phase of the pandemic, (2) socio-demographic characteristics, and (3) news information channels. The study used a dynamic cohort design with 18 rounds of data collection, including 306,692 responses from 83,180 unique respondents in the Netherlands from 17 April 2020 to 11 September 2022. Results showed that the frequency of general COVID-19-related news media consumption varied throughout the pandemic, following a general decreasing trend with relative spikes often coinciding with periods of stricter behavioural regulations. TV news, newspapers, and online news websites were the most popular news information channels among the respondents. Furthermore, multilevel regression analyses identified several socio-demographic factors influencing news consumption and preferred channels, namely age, migration background, living status, health status, and trust in government — these results remained stable throughout the pandemic. This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate news channels to effectively reach different socio-demographic groups and shows that during a prolonged crisis, news consumption about the crisis fluctuates with worsening conditions but generally follows a decreasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Inaccurate cancer news can have adverse effects on patients and families. One potential way to minimize this is through media literacy training—ideally, training tailored specifically to the evaluation of health-related media coverage. Purpose We test whether an abbreviated health-focused media literacy intervention improves accuracy discernment or sharing discernment for cancer news headlines and also examine how these outcomes compare to the effects of a generic media literacy intervention. Methods We employ a survey experiment conducted using a nationally representative sample of Americans (N = 1,200). Respondents were assigned to either a health-focused media literacy intervention, a previously tested generic media literacy intervention, or the control. They were also randomly assigned to rate either perceived accuracy of headlines or sharing intentions. Intervention effects on accurate and inaccurate headline ratings were tested using OLS regressions at the item-response level, with standard errors clustered on the respondent and with headline fixed effects. Results We find that the health-focused media literacy intervention increased skepticism of both inaccurate (a 5.6% decrease in endorsement, 95% CI [0.1%, 10.7%]) and accurate (a 7.6% decrease, 95% CI [2.4%, 12.8%]) news headlines, and accordingly did not improve discernment between the two. The health-focused media literacy intervention also did not significantly improve sharing discernment. Meanwhile, the generic media literacy intervention had little effect on perceived accuracy outcomes, but did significantly improve sharing discernment. Conclusions These results suggest further intervention development and refinement are needed before scaling up similarly targeted health information literacy tools, particularly focusing on building trust in legitimate sources and accurate content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a method that allows for data collection in real-time, may offer benefits for communication research. We conducted two EMA studies on different topics (i.e., alcohol and sexual content in media and social media use, emotions, and tanning) in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and completed in-depth interviews (N = 19 and N = 16) following each study. Participants were open to the method and described potential changes in awareness and behavior, which could contribute to changes in data collected and potentially serve as an unintentional intervention. Researchers should consider the intent of their research and possible unintended effects of the questions posed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce uncertainty, the public needs accurate and timely information. Inspired by the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model, this article discovers the significant predictors of individuals' COVID-19 information-seeking intention and behaviour. Overall, 394 adult participants from 47 states completed this study's online survey. The hierarchical regression analysis reveals that risk experience and informational subjective norms are the most substantial predictors of individuals' online information-seeking behaviour about COVID-19. Information insufficiency did not predict information seeking, and participants tend to overestimate their knowledge about COVID-19. RISP variables tend to share power in explaining the variances of information-seeking behaviour. Moreover, both channel beliefs and perceived information gathering capacity moderate information insufficiency's prediction of information-seeking intention. These findings will assist researchers in discovering the fundamental motivation of information seeking. This article can guide pragmatic interventions to reduce the public's uncertainty and mitigate the risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a larger study about pregnancy options counseling with adolescents, we interviewed women in the United States who chose abortion during adolescence about preferences and experiences regarding communication from healthcare professionals during abortion care. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with women ages 18-35 years old who were pregnant before age 20 years old and chose abortion. We recruited participants through social media, a research registry, and flyers in healthcare facilities. We recorded and transcribed interviews. Two investigators coded interview transcripts using thematic analysis. We conducted interviews with 17 US women (median age 32 years old, range 20-35 years old) from 11/2020-4/2021. The median age at time of abortion was 18 years old (range 14-19 years). The sample was 58% (n = 10) Caucasian and 65% (n = 11) heterosexual. Themes included: 1) Participants perceived options counseling before abortion as important and necessary but did not always feel they personally needed it. 2) Participants reported that clinicians including nurses, physicians, and other staff sometimes had poor bedside manner, which was not aligned with their perceived need for gentleness due to their adolescence. 3) Participants valued nonjudgmental communication including normalization of abortion care. 4) Participants desired privacy and confidentiality throughout their clinic appointment, but clinic logistics led to concerns about limited privacy. 5) Participants appreciated medically accurate information about abortion in plain language balancing safety and risk information for reducing fear before the procedure. Responses suggested specific best practices that healthcare providers can adopt to improve care for youth considering abortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the role of social media in public health through a case of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning prevented and subsequently overlooked, as influenced by digital community interaction. A TikTok influencer shared an experience with a coal stove, leading to followers advising against its use due to CO poisoning risks. This advice was heeded, yet a family member, unaware of these risks, experienced CO poisoning. This incident illuminates social media's potential in disseminating life-saving health information and influencing behavior, forming the basis of "Media Epidemiology." This new field studies how digital communication impacts health-related behaviors and outcomes. Our analysis highlights social media as a tool for rapid health information dissemination and preventive action. It underscores the need for integrating digital platform dynamics into public health strategies, emphasizing education on hazards like CO poisoning. This study advocates for leveraging social media in public health, exemplifying its role in disease prevention and health promotion, and marking a significant stride in contemporary epidemiological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of animal metaphors in product advertisements. Such ads, especially those for health products, often employ metaphors depicting the ad messengers with animal characteristics to imply the negative health consequences of not using a product. Four studies are carried out using field and experimental data. The findings show that animal metaphor ads are less persuasive than nonmetaphor ads because the viewers of ads with animal‐like (as opposed to human) messengers experience stronger perceived self‐dehumanization, which in turn has a negative effect on product choice, brand attitude, product evaluation, and purchase intention. This effect occurs regardless of whether the animal metaphors are presented visually or verbally. Furthermore, the unfavorable reaction is stronger when the source domain includes a more disliked animal. However, it is also found that the animal metaphor effect diminishes when the target domain shifts from human to object. The findings shed light on how a sense of self‐dehumanization, triggered by the use of animalized model images in advertisements, can harm brands and products, offering insights into the pitfalls of using animal metaphors in health communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People who are d/Deaf face challenges when communicating with pharmacists, especially during medication counseling. Aim: This study aimed to explore and understand the perceptions and experiences of d/Deaf people regarding medication counseling by hospital pharmacists. Method: Five sets of semi-structured in-depth interviews (44 total) and one focus group were conducted among d/Deaf people, hospital pharmacists, and Thai sign language (TSL) interpreters. Data from d/Deaf people's perspectives were triangulated with data from pharmacists and TSL interpreters. Results: Five themes emerged from the interview: (1) d/Deaf people believe that deafness is stigmatized, (2) d/Deaf people's needs during medication counseling, (3) skills for d/Deaf people to communicate with pharmacists, (4) values identified in d/Deaf people, 5) emotions related to medication counseling with pharmacists. Effort, trust, confidentiality, and privacy were values associated with counseling. d/Deaf people preferred communicating with pharmacists in TSL to communicating with pharmacists via TSL interpreters because of trust and confidentiality. They also preferred pharmacists with d/Deaf knowledge and skills. Moreover, d/Deaf people believed that deafness was stigmatized, so signing in nonprivate areas was embarrassing. When TSL was not used in communication, language, lipreading, and technology skills became important. With these non-TSL communications, d/Deaf people may not have understood the conversation. However, they may not have asked pharmacists because they felt Krengjai (the hesitancy to bother). Conclusion: Thai d/Deaf people have negative experiences during medication counseling. Skills and emotions can act as barriers to communication with pharmacists. TSL should be used to improve d/Deaf people's experiences during medication counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodResultsConclusionsPrescriber-patient communication plays a crucial role in understanding patients’ needs, while reducing risks for developing an opioid use disorder (OUD), yet research on this is sparse. As such, the need to understand healthcare providers’ skills, comfort, and confidence when discussing opioids with patients and other providers is an important step in balancing patients’ needs from a pain perspective and risks from an OUD perspective.We interviewed 32 Massachusetts providers (physicians, physician associates, nurse practitioners, and dental practitioners) to assess their communication strategies with patients and other providers. Interviews were conducted online (January – September 2021) and were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using deductive content analysis.Contextualized in the Health Education Theory, one major theme was how providers communicated with patients about opioids, including their tone, use of language, and the content they covered. Providers described frequently encountering patients who expressed fears and concerns about opioid addiction and did not want an opioid prescription. Another major theme, related to the ongoing process of preventing problems with opioids was a focus on provider engagement in follow-up, including checking if a prescription was filled, having the patient come back to the office, or calling another provider after a certain duration. Recommendations about communication with patients and other providers were also discussed.Overall, open, supportive, tailored communication with patients and other providers was deemed essential when considering opioid prescriptions. Further research is recommended to learn about the status of opioid-prescription knowledge, beliefs, and practices within the fourth wave of the current opioid overdose epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionsThe demand for simplified languages such as Easy Language has grown, also in healthcare. Despite this, very few studies have examined how healthcare personnel perceive Easy Language, or its effects on healthcare.This qualitative case study was conducted in a Finnish hospital. The data consisted of 14 interviews with hospital management and operational staff on their experiences of implementing and using Easy Language in patient communication.According to the hospital personnel, the experiences of Easy Language use were mainly positive. The staff felt that patient instructions in Easy Language improved communication with customers. They were proud that the values of the hospital’s strategy, especially customer orientation, were realized in practical work. However, operational-level personnel also reported certain challenges, especially regarding the adequacy of resources and training.Considering its modest financial investment, we conclude that the Easy Language project had a positive impact. The hospital staff were satisfied and perceived that health communication in the hospital had improved. Their positive reputation due to their use of Easy Language brought added value to their work. Further studies are needed to measure the direct customer experience and financial effects of using Easy Language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the efficacy of different messaging formats in the context of public health crises and emergencies in rural context. By analyzing usage statistics and user feedback, we assessed the effectiveness of various technology-mediated COVID-19 audio message formats (songs, expert interviews, endorsements, and dramas) delivered using the Amplio Talking Book device to rural communities in Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings indicate that different messaging formats resulted in varying levels of user engagement and interest. Shorter audio messages (1–5 minutes), and endorsements from credible and familiar community stakeholder significantly fostered trust and adoption. Establishing a consistent user feedback loop was essential for providing clarifications, addressing queries, and diffusing disinformation and misinformation, especially considering the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 outbreak. Reflecting on these insights, we discuss effective strategies for creating engaging technology-mediated public health and behavior change messages during public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSecondary school sex education has been identified as a productive site for teaching about fertility. U.S. sex-education curricula of all types does not explicitly include fertility, but research suggests fertility is nonetheless discussed in the sex-education classroom. To identify the contexts of those in-class discussions, we analyze semi-structured interviews with 32 secondary-school sex educators representing states with different curricular mandates (i.e. abstinence-based; comprehensive). Findings reveal that discussions about fertility unfold in the contexts of: (a) STIs, (b) substance use, and (c) reproductive technologies. Within those contexts, participants reported that they tended to highlight fear appeals related to fertility information; that they focused on male fertility over female in discussions about substance use; and that they lacked the time and resources to communicate nuances of fertility information. In these respects, this study has important implications for the communication and implementation of sex-education campaigns designed to alleviate low fertility knowledge rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveParticipantsMethodsResultsConclusionsThis study explores the effectiveness of health communication campaigns and campus-based interventions to promote vaccinations among college-aged students, focusing on human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization.Leveraging previous initiatives, Purdue University implemented various campaign strategies and collaborated with the Indiana Immunization Coalition to administer vaccines (n = 1,827) across two clinics in late 2022.Qualtrics® surveys (n = 564) were administered to individuals post-vaccination(s).The provision of vaccines without financial burden and informed awareness facilitated HPV vaccine uptake, whereas perceived lack of time and necessity served as barriers. Email outreach and visually appealing posters proved effective in disseminating clinic information.The increase in HPV vaccine recipients and a reduction in perceived vaccine ineligibility highlight the efficacy of printed posters in enhancing knowledge and awareness. By providing cost-free vaccines on campuses, this model demonstrates its potential to elevate vaccination rates, and can be adapted for broader community contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper records knowledge from below around the overlaps between health, water, and health interventions emerging from rural communities located in North 24 Parganas and Purulia in West Bengal. Using the culture-centered approach and necrocapitalism, this essay documents the localocentric stories from the subaltern communities disproportionately impacted by water insecurity. Based on data collected during a seven-week field study, a critical thematic analysis of the data reveals how research participants with minoritized caste and low-income backgrounds routinely challenge, disrupt, and re-organize the dominant frames of health, water, and health interventions as articulated by local–global organizational actors. Additionally, research participant narratives make visible how they navigate social, cultural, institutional, and capitalist structures that adversely affect water security and their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe essay reviews Charles L. Briggs’s book “Incommunicable: Towards Communicative justice in health and medicine”. Through critical reading and drawing on psychoanalysis and anthropological phenomenology, the essay review examines the different and distinct ways incommunicabilities develop and take form in the text, along with their productive effects. For this, the articulation between affections, body and words is traced. Special importance is given to the scholar’s proposal of incommunicability-free zones and their relationship with justice in Health. Finally, it draws on decolonial feminist theory, specifically that of María Lugones, to articulate coloniality and gender as indissociable processes to stress a comment/question on the book what effects will have in Charles L. Briggs’s argument to include race-gender as a foundational ground of coloniality? And how will it reframe health/communicative equity and justice? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this scoping review is to identify the models of Health Information Disorders (HIDs), the components of these models, their study setting, and their designing approaches. Materials and Methods: In this study, PubMed, Web Of Science (WOS), Scopus, ProQuest, and Embase databases were searched to identify relevant articles. After screening the identified studies, 22 studies were selected. Data was extracted based on objectives and was combined and summarized by a narrative method. Results: The analysis of articles showed most of the included studies presented conceptual models or frameworks that provide a more structured and comprehensive view of a topic. The elements and components of the HID models were categorized into five main components, including information issues, communication issues, psychology issues, social issues and theories. Most studies employed, existing theories, evidence, or principles to design their approaches. The main setting of studies were COVID-19 and related topics such as vaccination. Conclusions: By synthesizing the HID models we tried to find the gap among types, components, designing approaches and setting of models. It seems we need some HID models based on contextual frameworks to understand deeply the way of being born, spread and death of HIDs in society. Also, future advancements in HID models should focus on other diseases rather than COVID-19 to provide a holistic approach in diverse healthcare landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccine hesitancy is widespread, and developing effective communication strategies that encourage hesitant individuals to choose vaccination is essential. This pre‐registered research aimed to examine associations among moral obligation, autonomous motivation, vaccination intentions and reactance, and to test messages highlighting moral obligation and autonomy support. In Study 1, participants who had not received a Covid‐19 vaccine (N = 1036) completed measures of autonomous motivation, moral obligation, reactance, intentions to vaccinate and vaccine hesitancy. Autonomous motivation and moral obligation emerged as strong independent predictors of lower reactance, lower hesitancy and greater vaccination intentions. In Study 2 (N = 429), the participants received a vaccination‐promoting message that highlighted moral obligation versus personal protection and used autonomy supportive versus controlling language. Messages with autonomy‐supportive language and highlighting personal protection elicited lower reactance and greater perceived legitimacy compared to messages with controlling language and highlighting moral obligation. All messages elicited greater reactance and lower perceived legitimacy compared to an information‐only message, and there were no effects of message type on vaccination intentions or vaccine hesitancy. The research has implications for the design of communications encouraging vaccination in hesitant individuals and suggests caution should be taken when developing messages to encourage vaccination in hesitant individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Boster et al. (2012) superdiffuser model predicts that a health behavior change can be diffused through a social network by recruiting superdiffusers, a type of opinion leader who possesses 3 key traits, to promote that health behavior change. Yet, that model does not specify how to recruit opinion leaders for applied contexts. This pair of studies sought to demonstrate that the self-schema matching model of persuasion can be used to design recruitment messages for a potential campaign. Study 1 (N = 342) used an online survey to identify the self-schema of health mavens, one of the three superdiffuser traits. Study 2 conducted an online message experiment (N = 393) and demonstrated that targeting the health maven's self-schema increases the persuasiveness of a message designed to recruit them for a word-of-mouth behavior change campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Given the discrepancies in immunisation coverage, the goal of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators to effective communication across the school-based vaccination program in South Eastern Sydney schools. Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken with purposively selected immunisation staff, school coordinators, and parents of Year 7 students who had not received two vaccinations (dTpa and HPV) at school. A focus group with immunisation staff and interviews with school coordinators explored the barriers and facilitators to vaccination uptake, including communication across stakeholders. The parent interviews explored attitudes to vaccination and the school program and investigated the program communication methods. Results: Five immunisation staff, eleven school coordinators, and eleven parents participated in the study. The barriers to participation in the school vaccination program included low parent recall of vaccination information, challenges encountered by school staff in consent tracking, no communication channel between health staff and parents, a greater school focus on vaccination facilitation than student education, and limited communication between stakeholders about catch-up vaccinations. The facilitators included established school/parent relationships for vaccine communication, effective communication between health and school staff, and using multiple methods to promote clinic and consent requirements. Conclusions: Opportunities exist to increase program participation by enhancing vaccination information and education for students and parents, with better communication about vaccination catch-ups and consent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the coverage of the covid-19 pandemic in two daily national newspapers published in China and the UK: China Daily and The Times. Taking a corpus-based approach to Critical Discourse Analysis, we identify significant differences that reflect the distinct cultural, socio-political, and institutional contexts in which these newspapers operate. The Times is found to focus on the impacts of the pandemic on ordinary people, as well as their dissatisfaction with the UK government's handling of the crisis, employing direct quotes both from ordinary citizens and scientific experts (e.g., to critique governmental responses). Conversely, China Daily foregrounds, and positively appraises, the leadership of President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China, focussing on their efforts in managing the health-related and economic impacts of the pandemic. This newspaper also highlights China's role in domestic and international covid-19 responses, as well as its support for global economic recovery, particularly in Africa. China Daily also negatively portrays the United States' response to the pandemic – reflecting the newspaper's broader critical stance towards capitalism and the US in particular. The findings thus demonstrate the influence of cultural, socio-political and institutional factors on media representations of public health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the high non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality in Ethiopia, NCD screening in the country remains suboptimal. This study assessed the health communication process and materials designed to promote NCD screening among adult primary healthcare facility attendants in the Gurage Zone, Ethiopia. Methods: A parallel mixed-methods approach was employed. Seven health communication materials were evaluated using the Modified Clear Communication Index Score by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seven key informants who were involved in the production were interviewed to explore the process. Users' satisfaction with the materials was assessed through a cross-sectional survey (N = 412). We used multivariable logistic regression with SPSS version 27 software to determine the factors associated with users' satisfaction. Thematic analysis was applied for the qualitative data analysis using Opencode 4.03 software. Results: Qualitative interviews indicated that the production process relied on evidence, involved stakeholders, and included pretesting. The CDC index score revealed that five of the seven materials were considered clear and user-friendly, whereas two required improvement. Overall users' satisfaction with the material was high with a mean score of 22.10 (SD ± 2.34; min: 14, max: 25). Age and educational status had significant positive association with users' satisfaction. Conclusions: Developing health communication materials on promoting NCD screening based on evidence, stakeholders' input, and pretesting can lead to good quality material and user satisfaction. We recommend future research works to measure changes in NCD screening service uptake as a result of using the health communication materials considered in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective: During the COVID-19 pandemic, college students were navigating confusing and often conflicting information on social media. Media literacy can help people interpret information online. We developed and tested a text-message media literacy intervention designed for college students. Participants: 267 U.S. college students from a university in the Pacific Northwest. Methods: We used an explanatory mixed methods design with a pretest-posttest field experiment (N = 267) and in-depth interviews (N = 15) to test a text message-based media literacy intervention in April 2020. Results: The intervention influenced media literacy for source and interacted with elaboration to influence media literacy for content and COVID-19 expectancies. Interviews highlighted how media literacy can be bolstered by emphasizing the salience of the role the message source plays in message interpretation. Conclusions: A media literacy text message intervention can prompt college students to consider media literacy related to the source and impact health expectancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2020–2022 pandemic highlighted concerns about “information disorders”, pressing for approaches capable of guiding the science-society alliance toward a mutually beneficial direction. This essay advocates for and presents a framework proposing the combination of Open Science (OS) and Science Communication (SciComm) practices. OS encourages public access to scientific material, while SciComm has historically enabled public understanding of scientific knowledge. Despite their similar goals, these two communities are disconnected. We draw on the concepts of “boundary object” and “epistemic trust” to demonstrate how this framework could foster a bond between scientific expertise and public reason toward an informed and inclusive common good. The OS-SciComm framework is based on the notion that ensuring transparency in science also requires “bridging tools” that deal with the complexity of scientific lexicon and processes. It values scientific expertise, but does not undermine citizens’ capabilities in information processing and their interest in accessing scientific outputs. Our proposal also acknowledges controversies involving open scientific materials during the COVID-19 pandemic and advises caution when drawing conclusions from cases that are often context-specific. The OS-SciComm framework requires innovative ideas, platforms and actions. We invite both communities to join us in this endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Misinformation spreading on social media often parallels public crises, such as the outbreak of COVID-19, because people's behaviors regarding misinformation may be influenced by their typical life circumstances. With the increasing severity of living conditions, misinformation is believed to spread more widely, while corrective behaviors tend to decrease. Furthermore, social comparison also affects the perception of life circumstances and subsequent behaviors. Taking Shanghai's COVID-19 lockdown as an example, this study examined whether two representative factors--the duration of the lockdown and the satisfaction with relief measures--affected people's tendency to share and correct misinformation. By employing the third-person effect (TPE) theory, the underlying mechanisms of social comparison were also explored. Methods: An online survey was conducted in April 2022, when the Zero- COVID policy was implemented in Shanghai. In addition to questions about life circumstances, a third-person perception scale, a behaviors of sharing misinformation scale, and a behaviors of correcting misinformation scale were included in the survey. Finally, 7,962 valid responses were collected. Results: It was found that both behaviors--sharing and correcting misinformation--were affected by life circumstances but in different ways. The evidence also supported the existence of third-person perception (TPP). It was observed that the relationship between satisfaction with relief measures and sharing behavior was mediated by Third-Person Perception. Conclusion: This study reveals that the proliferation of misinformation during crises is related to the deterioration of people's perception of life circumstances. Social comparison often plays a significant role, as was reflected by the TPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coping is a well-studied concept across multiple disciplines, including communication and psychology. Over the years, studies have identified that individuals and organizations use varying coping strategies to deal with an unpleasant phenomenon. This paper analyzed themes of coping within the presidential addresses of Ghana and Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. We argued that an investigation into these important official documents from the two Global South countries could offer propagative ideas for the communication subareas of health communication, mass communication, disaster, and crisis communication. After analyzing the presidential addresses, the study identified emerging patterns of African communication systems, social comparison, and politico-religious communication as coping themes embedded in the speeches. The role of the African communication system and implications for collective coping, cultural values, and local resources as agents for national coping strategy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The incidence rates of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and cancer increase with age, posing challenges to affected individuals and their families. However, there are currently no clear cancer screening guidelines for individuals with cognitive impairment. This study analyzed the impact of carer health literacy on screening behaviors in this population. Methods: We conducted a postal follow‐up survey, associated with the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology—Life STORIES of People with Dementia, that targeted primary carers to assess their reports regarding patient attendance at regular cancer screenings recommended by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, over the preceding 2 years. Screening rates were compared between the memory clinic cohort and the national average, and the influence of carer health literacy level on screening was analyzed. Results: Among the 826 total individuals analyzed, the memory clinic cohort exhibited lower breast cancer screening rates, at 11% among female patients aged 65–74 years versus the national average of 32%. Higher health literacy among carers was significantly associated with increased screening. For female patients, carers with high levels of communicative health literacy were more likely to ensure that patients attended screenings for gastric (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–3.04), colorectal (AOR, 1.70, 95% CI 1.08–2.70), and breast cancers (AOR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.40–6.76). Among the male patients, high communicative health literacy was associated with increased lung cancer screening attendance (AOR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.11–2.99). Conclusions: Our research highlights a notable gap in cancer screening attendance between individuals with cognitive impairment and the general population, potentially arising from the intricate nature of screening procedures and the extensive burden on carers. More informed decisions and increased screening rates can be achieved through patient‐centric communication strategies that accommodate the cognitive abilities of patients, ensuring the comprehensibility and accessibility of health‐related information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores how health promotion pedagogy can center health equity for academic enrichment and application, prioritizing historically underserved and marginalized Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities through a culture-centered approach. It discusses the centrality of culture in health promotion education as a framework for incorporating health equity and concludes with recommendations to expand the concept of culture in health promotion pedagogy to advance health equity through classroom training and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media plays a crucial role in health information dissemination, yet it also raises concerns about misinformation. This study examines the role of Spanish health centers in promoting influenza vaccination on social networks, particularly X (formerly Twitter), during the 2023–2024 campaign. An observational, retrospective study analyzed the activity of 832 Spanish health centers on X. Data collection focused on the existence of official accounts, follower engagement and the nature of messages posted. Metrics were obtained using X Analytics, and statistical analysis was performed using JAMOVI v2.4 software. Of the 832 centers, 607 had readable X accounts. Collective accounts were more prevalent (351) than individual ones (239). Collective accounts had significantly more followers and posts but showed less engagement compared to individual accounts. The most followed accounts belonged to public entities, like the Community of Madrid and private organizations, such as Sanitas. An analysis of the vaccination campaign revealed that most posts had a political focus with limited health information, resulting in minimal interaction with the public. As a conclusion, the study highlights the fragmented nature of health communication through social networks in Spain. Despite the higher visibility of collective accounts, their engagement with the public is low, often due to the political nature of posts. A unified national strategy is essential for enhancing public health communication, focusing on interactive and relevant content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The substantial exposure to chronic non-communicable respiratory diseases in news coverage impacts readers' understanding of the situation's seriousness. Hence, in the context of Texas newspapers, this study explores the coverage of non-communicable respiratory disease issues. Methods: News articles were gathered spanning from January 2020 to April 2022 to investigate the media coverage of noncommunicable respiratory diseases within Texas newspapers. To identify meaningful associations, a co-occurrence network was employed, revealing the prevalent co-occurring keywords. Complementing this, sentiment analysis was applied to discern the prevailing emotional tones conveyed within the news narratives. These methodologies provide a comprehensive understanding of the media's portrayal of respiratory diseases and the underlying emotions, enhancing insights into public perception and awareness. Results: The outcomes identified a comprehensive understanding of implications of respiratory ailments. Notably, individuals afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may also contend with other persistent health conditions. Pollution, particularly air pollution, has been recognized as a significant contributor to the development and exacerbation of chronic non-communicable respiratory conditions. Sentiment analysis revealed that words that contain the trust emotion appeared in about 24% of news frames. The second most prevalent emotion was anticipation, which appeared in 17% of news frames. The presence of fear (16%) and sadness (13%) emotions was also notable. Conclusions: Although previous research attempted to explore the portrayal of different public health issues in the news media, no study has been conducted to explore the coverage of chronic non-communicable respiratory diseases in newspapers within the context of Texas. Thus, this research provides insights into how health policymakers can shape health strategies based upon news coverage by focusing on the crucial frames identified in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El uso de un grupo de fármacos conocidos como SYSADOA (SYmptomatic Slow-Acting Drugs for Osteoarthritis) en el tratamiento de la osteoartritis (OA) ha sido fuente de debate en la comunidad científica y en entidades públicas con relación a su financiación pública en España. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue describir y analizar las principales posiciones de los medios de comunicación y las entidades públicas frente al uso y la financiación de SYSADOA en España. Se realizó un análisis cualitativo y cuantitativo del contenido respecto al uso y a la financiación de SYSADOA en medios generalistas (El País , El Mundo , La Vanguardia , ABC y 20minutos), comunicados de organismos públicos y publicaciones en Twitter®. Se identificaron 15 artículos en medios generalistas, 872 tweets y 7 comunicados de organismos públicos. Mayoritariamente, los datos obtenidos en medios de comunicación (91%) y redes sociales (78%) respaldaron la financiación de SYSADOA. A pesar de la controversia en la comunidad científica, este estudio destaca un consenso en los medios de comunicación y asociaciones a favor de la financiación pública de SYSADOA en los pacientes de OA. The use of SYmptomatic Slow-Acting Drugs for Osteoarthritis (SYSADOA) in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) has been a topic of debate in the scientific community and public entities regarding their public financing in Spain. The objective of this study was to describe and analyze the main positions of media outlets, public entities, regarding the use and financing of SYSADOA in Spain. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the content regarding the use and financing of SYSADOA was conducted in general media outlets (El País , El Mundo, La Vanguardia, ABC, and 20minutos), public statements, and Twitter® publications. A total of 15 articles in general media outlets, 872 tweets, and 7 public entity statements were identified. Mostly, media outlets (91%) and social media platforms (78%) exhibited a favorable trend towards funding. The use of SYSADOA in OA patients continues to be controversial in the scientific community. However, there is consensus among patient associations in favor of public funding and use as a treatment for OA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine how public opinions about maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic are influenced by social media and word-of-mouth (WOM). The research method used is a quantitative approach. This research was conducted in Jakarta by collecting data through the distribution of questionnaires to 200 respondents. The respondents were selected through a purposive sampling technique with several characteristics. Hypothesis testing in this study uses multiple linear regression analysis. The findings of this study show that there is a significant influence between social media and WOM on people's healthy lifestyles during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is indicated by the results of the regression equation which shows a positive correlation. In other words, health promotion during the COVID19 pandemic is influenced by social media and WOM. The study also concluded that during the COVID -19 pandemic, people relied heavily on opinion leaders in their communities and on social media which they followed. This is due to the impact of technological advances. They are used to accessing social media for health information. So the role of WOM is very influential in people's attitudes towards healthy living. This research has implications for the healthy lifestyles of people in Indonesia. In addition, interpersonal WOM communication strategies are important in building a society that values healthy lifestyles after the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Serious Illness Care Program was developed to support goals and values discussions between seriously ill patients and their clinicians. The core competencies, that is, the essential clinical conversation skills that are described as requisite for effective serious illness conversations (SICs) in practice, have not yet been explicated. This integrative systematic review aimed to identify core competencies for SICs in the context of the Serious Illness Care Program. Methods: Articles published between January 2014 and March 2023 were identified in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed databases. In total, 313 records underwent title and abstract screening, and 96 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. The articles were critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Guidelines, and data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results: In total, 53 articles were included. Clinicians' core competencies for SICs were described in 3 themes: conversation resources, intrapersonal capabilities, and interpersonal capabilities. Conversation resources included using the conversation guide as a tool, together with applying appropriate communication skills to support better communication. Intrapersonal capabilities included calibrating one's own attitudes and mindset as well as confidence and self-assurance to engage in SICs. Interpersonal capabilities focused on the clinician's ability to interact with patients and family members to foster a mutually trusting relationship, including empathetic communication with attention and adherence to patient and family members views, goals, needs, and preferences. Conclusions: Clinicians need to efficiently combine conversation resources with intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to successfully conduct and interact in SICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening decision aids can inform patients about CRC screening benefits, costs, and procedures. Patients who receive the decision aid report wanting to share the information with their families and friends. We evaluated a CRC screening decision aid on Hispanic patients' communication to their alters and whether patient-alter communication leads to alters' CRC screening intention. Methods: We conducted a one-arm pre/post study of Hispanic patients and their alters; patients (n = 42) and their alters (n = 19) were recruited from a clinic site in Yakima County, Washington State. Patients viewed a CRC screening decision aid at the clinic site. Survey data from patients and alters were collected via telephone including patients' communication with their alters about CRC screening after viewing the decision aid and alters' intention to be screened for CRC after talking to the patient. Results: Most participants reported sharing CRC information with their alters after viewing the decision aid, and most alters confirmed they had received CRC information from participants (68%). The decision aid was associated with participants' own intention to undergo CRC screening and with alters' intention to be screened for CRC using a fecal occult blood test (p = 0.014) and sigmoidoscopy (p = 0.011). Conclusions: Patient decision aids have the potential to increase CRC screening behavior beyond the decision aid recipients to their social network. Trial registration: Trials Registration Number: NCT04444232 "Retrospectively registered." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health messaging is effective if it achieves audience adherence to guidance. Through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics, we examine the expression of obligation in poster-based health campaigns (4 posters) employed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK by considering whether differences in grammatical mood and modality values impact on public compliance toward the message content. Effects of mood and modality variations are examined through a quantitative-cum-qualitative analysis of results from a representative survey (N = 1,089), which included closed questions on self-predicted compliance to health guidance and open questions on the respondents’ understanding of messaging. The quantitative results favour medium values of obligation (“should” vis-à-vis “must”) and directives in declarative mood for self-efficacy messages, and expressions of certainty when the need to take action to prevent negative outcomes is conveyed. The qualitative results show that, communication context and linguistic features being equal, message types (i.e., self-efficacy, moralising, fear appeals) and visual cues prevail in conditioning public reception. Moreover, since directives employing modality allow for speakers’ inclusion among the targeted addressees, they appear to offer more favourable outcomes than those in the imperative mood. This study provides empirical insights into the effects of modality and mood on health guidance compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aims Design Methods Results Conclusion Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care Reporting Methods Patient or Public Contribution This study aims to explore the practice of advance care planning (ACP) among Chinese oncology nurses and identify challenges influencing care provision.A sequential explanatory mixed‐method design was employed, comprising a quantitative phase to assess communication practices, followed by a qualitative phase to explore the challenges faced in ACP.The study employed convenience sampling, including 532 oncology nurses from seven hospitals in northern China. Quantitative data were collected through a cross‐sectional survey and the ACP communication index from December 2021 to January 2022. The qualitative phase consisted of 19 interviews conducted between May and July 2022, which were thematically analysed to elucidate the challenges in ACP practices.Quantitative findings revealed a low frequency of ACP communication among Chinese oncology nurses. Qualitative analysis identified four themes: lack of optimal timing, passive engagement of patients or families, reluctance of healthcare professionals and unsupported policies.The study concluded that identified challenges compromise the effectiveness of ACP practices among Chinese oncology nurses. Inadequate communication, limited interdisciplinary collaboration and policy gaps contribute to nonstandardised ACP processes.The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to enhance nurses' communication skills, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and provide policy support. Such interventions are pivotal to optimising end‐of‐life care in oncology settings and facilitating the integration of ACP into routine nursing practices.This study adhered to the Mixed Methods Article Reporting Standards.No contributions from patients or the public were involved in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long COVID comprises persistent symptoms that extend beyond four weeks post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. The potential association between long COVID and the endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories has not been explored, particularly in Arab countries, where high endorsement of these theories has been reported. This study aimed to explore the association between endorsing COVID-19 conspiracy theories and the prevalence of self-reported long COVID symptoms among adults in Jordan and Kuwait in addition to other Arab countries. The study employed a cross-sectional design using Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI), conducted in Arabic. Recruitment utilized convenience-based snowball sampling via social media and the survey was distributed in July 2024. Long COVID manifestations were assessed across ten recognized symptoms, and belief in conspiracy theories was measured using a five-point Likert scale across five items. The final study sample comprised 755 respondents, the majority of whom self-reported a history of confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis at least once (n = 493, 65.2%). The results indicated a neutral average attitude towards COVID-19 conspiracy theories (mean score = 15.18 ± 4.64 out of 30.00). Participants with high COVID-19 conspiracy theories scores were more likely to report high (aOR = 6.85, p < 0.001) or middle long COVID symptoms (aOR = 2.82, p = 0.008) compared to those with lower scores. Additional predictors of higher long COVID reporting included female sex, lower household income, frequent COVID-19 infections, and hospitalizations. The study results revealed a significant correlation between the endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and a higher frequency and magnitude of long COVID symptom reporting. The findings also highlighted the influence of sociodemographic factors and COVID-19 infection history on long COVID reporting, which suggests that public health strategies should address these factors to mitigate long COVID challenges effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a framework for assessing doctors' verbal engagement during medical consultations. It quantifies doctors' degrees of resonance (Du Bois, 2014), a form of interactional alignment (Pickering and Garrod, 2021) that occurs when speakers imitate and re-use words and constructions uttered by their interlocutors. Resonance often involves creativity and active participation in others' speech, overtly signalling that what they said is relevant for continuing the interaction (Tantucci and Wang, 2021). We looked at Chinese naturalistic consultations and explored whether resonance produced by Chinese doctors with a background in Western medicine (WM) differs from Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctors. Our data includes 60 online medical consultations and shows that TCM doctors' resonance is remarkably higher. This reflected stronger involvement in patients' speech in combination with other interactional indicators of engagement such as sentence peripheral markers of intersubjectivity (Tantucci, 2021) and strategies of relevance acknowledgement (Tantucci, 2023). The pragmatics of TCM doctors is also characterised by a more directive language geared towards a healthy lifestyle, whereas WM doctors favour etiological assessment, with a predominant use of assertive speech acts. • This study provides a replicable framework to assess verbal engagement in dialogue and health communication. • It analyses Chinese doctors' verbal engagement with patients during consultations. • Resonance involves re-using an interlocutor's expressions and contributes to verbal engagement. • Traditional Chinese medicine doctors engage with their patients more than Western Medicine doctors. • Their speech is geared towards advice-giving; Western medicine doctors favour etiological assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses the health promotion challenges of men who have sex with men (MSM) through the use of data from a conversation circle with people from institutions that provide services to MSM in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. The results allow for the identification of the following challenges for health promotion work, not only for MSM but also for sex dissidents: difficulties with the use of identity categories, stigmatization for providing them with sexual health care, structural racism, the deprivation of liberty, extreme poverty, and literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is an integral component of effective healthcare delivery to patients, and this includes breaking bad news (BBN). However, clinicians in dentistry are rarely exposed to diseases that can negatively and seriously affect an individual's view of their future and pose a mortality risk, except for oral cancer. The aim of this study was to assess clinician practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis in Malaysia. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study design was used. A qualitative study was conducted among 12 clinicians to gather relevant information regarding their practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis using a descriptive–interpretive approach. The themes that emerged were preparation for BBN, BBN setting, communication, emotional aspects, and summarizing the session. These themes were used to develop a questionnaire with 34 items. In the quantitative study, this questionnaire was sent to 87 clinicians who had experienced BBN of oral cancer diagnosis in the past 5 years; the response rate was 100%. An arbitrary cut-off score between the third and fourth quartiles was set to distinguish 'good' and 'poor' practice in BBN among the clinicians. The data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0. Overall, at least two-thirds of the clinicians had good practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis. The clinicians' designation (oral and maxillofacial surgery consultant/specialist vs dental officer) and BBN experiences were factors associated with their practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TikTok has more than 1.5 billion users globally. Health and wellness content on the application increased by more than 600% in 2021. This systematic review seeks to summarize which fields within medicine have embraced researching health communication on the TikTok platform and the most common measures reported within this literature. Research questions include what categories of health topics on TikTok are investigated in the literature, trends in topics by year, and types of outcomes reported. Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and Ovid MEDLINE databases were searched in March 2024. Eligible studies met four criteria: (1) investigated human health topics on TikTok; (2) conducted in the United States; (3) published in English; and (4) published in a peer-reviewed journal. Of the 101 included studies, 50.5% (N = 51) discussed non-surgical specialties, 9.9% (N = 10) discussed topics within surgery, and 11.9% (N = 12) discussed COVID-19. The number of papers referencing non-surgical topics spiked in 2023, and no increase was seen in the number of COVID-19 papers over time. Most papers reported a number of interactions, and papers about mental health were least likely to report accuracy. Our findings highlight several health topics with a wide breadth of research dedicated to them, such as dermatology and COVID-19, and highlight areas for future research, such as the intersection of cancer and TikTok. Findings may be influential in the fields of medicine and healthcare research by informing health policy and targeted prevention efforts. This review reveals the need for future policies that focus on the role and expectations of the healthcare worker in health communication on social media. Implications for clinical practice include the need for providers to consider an individual's perception of health and illness, given the wide variety of information available on social media applications such as TikTok. This review was pre-registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024529182). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virtual reality is increasingly being used for health communication. This study aimed to propose and test an integrated model of the determinants of perceived learning effectiveness in virtual reality (VR) within health communication. It proposes that psychological distance negatively affects immersion, flow, and presence, positively affecting perceived learning effectiveness. Methods: The Fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Method (F-DEMATEL) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test the proposed model. Data for the F-DEMATEL study were collected from 20 participants, whereas data for the SEM study were collected from 1104 participants, with 775 included in the final analysis. Results: The results of the F-DEMATEL study revealed that the three dimensions of psychological distance, emotional distance, spatial distance, and social distance are causal factors. In contrast, temporal, technical, and hypothetical distance are effect factors. The SEM results confirmed the negative effects of psychological distance on flow and presence and the positive effects of immersion and presence on perceived learning effectiveness. In addition, the mediating role of presence was confirmed. Conclusions: The results suggest that interrelationships among the factors can enhance the perceived learning effectiveness of health communication from VR. The crucial role of ensuring low psychological distance and high engagement in VR communication is also confirmed, providing crucial implications for VR communication practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are inundated with popular press reports about medical research concerning what is healthy, get advice from doctors, and hear personal anecdotes. How do people integrate conflicting anecdotal and statistical information when making medical decisions? In four experiments (N = 4126), we tested how people use conflicting information to judge the efficacy of artificial and real medical treatments. Participants read an anecdote from someone in a clinical trial, or who had undergone a medical treatment previously, for whom the medical treatment was ineffective. We found that reading anecdotes for either artificial or real medical treatments shifted participants' beliefs about the efficacy of a medical treatment. We observed this result even when the anecdote was uninformative, was paired with an icon array, or when participants were provided with thorough medical decision aids about reproductive health procedures. Our findings highlight the pervasive effect of anecdotes on medical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to study the effects of media communication regarding COVID-19 on the adoption of healthy behaviors. Specifically, we investigated the role of fear in the relationship between media exposure and adoption of healthy protective measures while also identifying individual effects for traditional media (TV and newspapers) versus social media. The study was based on a large sample of university students (n = 7554) during April 2020 in Brazil. Results showed that controlling for self-efficacy, age, and gender, total media exposure had greater indirect effect than direct effect on the adoption of healthy behaviors. The indirect effect was through the perception of fear of becoming ill (with COVID-19). We discuss the theoretical implications of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in Australia of government and community responses to the coronavirus pandemic of 2019 in the domains of education, employment, housing, social connectedness, and public health communication. Most of the examples are drawn from the state of New South Wales. In Australia, CALD refers to people from countries not classified as main English speaking. Most CALD communities reported in this article are from refugee backgrounds, are recently arrived migrants or do not use English in most of their communication. Inadequate, and in some instances, inappropriate or absent support, adversely impacts CALD communities. We used a multidisciplinary bricolage approach that draws on media, government, and community support publications and concluded that CALD communities experienced heightened pressures due to lower resource availability and poor communication. This led to disruption of support services, exposing gaps and vulnerability. The results reported here challenge Australian government, schools, community agencies, researchers to include proactively CALD community perspectives when planning and responding to such crises in future. Improving communication, pandemic response planning, addressing needs and ensuring participation are key considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a framework (OSEC-p model) for the evaluation of health communication, through websites, aimed at breast and cervical cancer screening adherence. For identification of the set of indicators of the model, content analysis of websites was adopted with coding based on both data-driven and theoretically-driven approaches. The proposed model comprises factors on multiple levels (macro-items, items, and micro-items), referring to the strategic orientation aimed at prevention, the organizational structure, corporate tools and stakeholder engagement, content on screening initiatives, compliance with communication principles, and website ergonomics. A pilot study on a sample of websites of Italian local health organizations confirms the applicability of the model and the usefulness of results and indications it offers. The OSEC-p can be considered the first step in a line of research not yet been investigated in the academic field, and aims to be a guideline for managers of healthcare organizations as it allows evaluation (and improvement) of communication via websites aimed at adhering to cancer prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the repercussions of the novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 have been felt across the world over the past few years, the impact has not been consistent. Instead, it has been mediated by the systemic ways in which existing social and structural disparities have failed vulnerable populations globally. Drawing on document analysis and fifteen in-depth interviews (n=15) conducted among the key stakeholders in the city of San Antonio, South Central Texas, this paper reveals how structural violence worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in making it a syndemic pandemic of high rates of deaths and illnesses among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. A grounded theory approach particularly revealed themes of social suffering such as low income and pre-existing medical conditions that contributed to higher mortality rates, the presence of racism and misinformation, the importance of trustworthy communication channels, and streamlined collaborative partnerships with clear and effective communication through all levels of the government, especially when communicating scientific information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, China's "Zero-COVID" policy and strong government actions led to significant disruptions in daily life. Using Shanghai's 2022 lockdown as an example, this study investigated how the government's actions influenced people's intentions to share information about risks and content with positive emotions. By employing the Third-Person Effect theory, this study further explores the underlying socio-psychological mechanism. A survey was conducted with 7,962 participants, and multiple linear regressions and structural equation models were applied to analyze the data. We found that (1) the policies that led to inconvenience whetted the dissemination of risk information and restricted the sharing of positive-emotion content; (2) "status-led" motivation was the critical reason why people shared both types of messages; and (3) Third-Person Perception mediated both of these influences. These findings expand our understanding of social communication during public health crises, particularly how the Third-Person Effect works. Plain language summary: During Shanghai's lockdown for COVID-19, did government actions like restriction of going out and delivery of relief packages influence people's intentions to share information on social media? The answer might be "Yes," and people tended to compare themselves with others when considering such issues During public crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, information about the risk is usually the primary type of messages disseminated on social media. People also tend to share content with positive emotions to encourage each other. In China, the "Zero-COVID" policy during 2020 to 2022 led to significant disruptions in daily life, and consequently influenced people's behaviors on social media. Such potent governmental behaviors offered a typical social circumstance which allowed scholars to examine the influence of the influence of government's actions on people's behaviors on social media. We conducted a large-scale online survey and collected 7,962 valid replies during Shanghai's lockdown in 2022, which was regarded as the hardest time of the 3-year pandemic in China. It was found that, the policies that led to inconvenience substantially whetted the dissemination of information about the risk, and hindered the sharing of content with positive emotions. Confronting different government's actions, people perceived different potential effects of the information. Those who suffered relatively less inconvenience from the lockdown tended to consider others were more vulnerable, and hence reduced the behaviors of sharing so as to protect the surrounding people. Such sociopsychological mechanism partially explained why the government's actions played their roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new method for health knowledge dissemination, the short video has promoted the development of health communication greatly. In the context of the post-epidemic era, we selected the short home fitness video a kind of short video to guide users to do exercise at home and impart health knowledge to users as the research object, to provide suggestions on how to make better use of short videos for health communication. Liu Genghong is a home fitness coach who has gained 60 million fans in 3 months by teaching in-door aerobics originated by himself, and short home fitness videos he released are representative. We selected short home fitness videos published by Liu Genghong on Tiktok as the research sample, and obtained relevant data through crawler code. We applied a uses and gratifications approach, which is a theory about analyzing the motivation of users, to use media to analyze the collected data. The analysis result indicated that users watch the home fitness video mainly because of health cognition, personal relations, idolatry and entertainment. This study enriches the related research on health communication and shows theoretical and practical significance. Plain language summary: A big data analysis of home exercisers demand through short video Short video is a new method for spreading health knowledge, and the home fitness video belongs to the health knowledge videos. We selected short home fitness videos on Tiktok released by Liu Genghong, a popular Chinese home fitness coach. The purpose of our study is to understand the motivation of users who watch Liu's short home fitness videos, so as to make better suggestions on how to use short videos for health communication. We collected users data who made comments on Liu's videos and their comments by program. We applied uses and gratifications approach which is a theory about analyzing the motivation of users to use media to analyze the collected data. The analysis result indicated that users watch the home fitness video mainly because of health cognition, personal relations, idolatry and entertainment. There are two limitations in our research. One limitation in this study is that the obtained data were limited. We only collected the comments before and during the period that Liu Genghong became popular, and payed little attention to the subsequent development. Furthermore, we collected comments published by users on public platforms. Whether users' comments published on the public platform are completely motivated by themselves and are not interfered by other factors is still a question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]