FULL SUMMARY TOPIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2025
Week 1
Week 1.1: Introduction to the field of health communication
Science communication
1) Communication about science → public participation in defining and shaping
science
2) Communication of science → transmission of scientific knowledge from experts
to non-experts, aiming to promote science-based behaviour
Science communication: Goals
1) Share scientific findings
2) Improve scientific literacy and appreciation
3) Encourage public involvement in science
4) Influence public attitudes and behaviour related to science
Link between science communication and health communication
Examples:
- Vaccines → anti-vaccine attitudes need tailored messaging for greater
acceptance
- Genetically-modified (GM) food → opposition often rooted in health concerns;
communicators should appeal to underlying value systems
Science communication: Heuristics and mental shortcuts
1) Traditional deficit model → lack of knowledge explains public resistance to
science
2) Heuristics → people use mental shortcuts when evaluating complex topics
- Linked to the cognitive miser model (people avoid cognitive effort by
relying on shortcuts)
- Contagion heuristic → GM food is “contaminated” because of
foreign genes – leading to rejection
- Spillover effect → attitudes toward GM food influence attitudes
toward similar technologies
Framing effects in science communication
1) Emphasis framing → highlighting different aspects of an issue
2) Equivalence framing → presenting the same facts in different ways (example:
gain and loss framing)
,Health communication: The challenge
Never before in the history of mankind, have we been more depressed, obese,
diseased, stressed, lethargic, medicated, generally unhappy, and more unfulfilled then
when we find ourselves today
- 51% of Dutch adults are overweight → 3x more than 40 years ago
- 60% don’t engage in physical activity
- Low education → less PA
- More overweight → less PA
- 40% of Dutch youth is feeling lonely
Health communication: Definition
A field of study that involves the exchange of health-related information with different
populations with the aim to change or sustain a health behaviour or practice that can
improve public health outcomes
Health communication: Boomerang effect
Health communication should choose words carefully → not to sound too controlling
- Individuals value their freedom, so it shouldn’t be threatened
→ If threatened, reactance can occur (resistance) → Psychological
Reactance Theory (Brehm)
→ The resistance is driven by attentional bias - people start focusing more
on the behaviour you are trying to discourage
- If individuals are threatened, they will do or encourage the discouraged
behaviour
- How to reduce reactance?
- Restoration postscripts → emphasize choice
- Inoculation → pre-warnings
- Offering choices
- Highlighting prosocial outcomes
Effects of reactance
1) Omnivores → stronger reactance with more meat-related words
2) Vegetarians → stronger reactance when meat-related words are found
Health orientation: 4 elements
1) Health consciousness
2) Health information
3) Health beliefs
4) Health activities
,Health communication: Health consciousness
Definitions:
→ Voluntarily participation in health promotion activities; compliance with health
clinicians (90s)
→ Engagement in health behaviours; physiological attention to one’s health; information
seeking and usage; personal responsibility; health motivation (2010s)
Health consciousness: History
- Originated in US wellness movements in response to rising healthcare costs
- Wellness programs promoted prevention and holistic health approaches
- Wellness scale → an early measure of health consciousness based on:
- Self-responsibility for health
- Nutritional awareness
- Stress awareness/management
- Physical fitness
- Environmental sensitivity
Health consciousness: Aspects
1) Psychological aspect → thinking about it, attention to new information, motivation
2) Behavioural aspect → engagement in health behaviour, seeking health info
Health consciousness: Predictions
Health consciousness predicts:
- Health information seeking
- Processing and acceptance
- Participation in health communities
- Engagement in preventive behaviour
- Sense of self-control → stronger self-control → greater attention to health
information → behaviour change
Health consciousness and health communication
Health communication should aim to increase health consciousness to improve:
1) Message understanding
2) Message acceptance
3) Behavioural adoption
High health consciousness benefits
1) Active information seeking
2) Monitoring of health resources in the environment
3) Participation in online health communities → positive health outcomes
, Physical activity: WHO definition
Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure
- WHO recommendations: adults should have 150-300 minutes a week of PA
- Physical activity helps to:
- Manage depression, anxiety and ADHD
- Frequent movement can accumulate long-term benefits
Communication strategies to promote physical activity
Health communication interventions target:
1) Starting or maintaining activity routines
2) Shifting sedentary lifestyles
Effective communication channels for PA
1) SMS/text messages → motivational reminders
2) Social media platforms → peer support and progress sharing
3) Online support groups
4) Tailored messages → must fit health literacy and reading ability of the target
audience
Types of PA promoted
1) Aerobic activity → sustained activity using large muscles (running, cycling,
dancing)
2) Anaerobic activity → short, intense bouts (powerlifting and sprints)
Technology and physical activity
1) Wearables → track steps, workouts; allow SM sharing
2) Exergames (Wii Sports) → combine gaming with movement → positive effects
when users are satisfied with appearance
3) Health apps (Strava) → track physical activity and nutrition → gamification of the
process: badges, challenges and social competition
→ strong prediction of user engagement
4) AI chatbots → used with teens for prediabetes or stress management → shows
to increase motivation, empower users and support physical activity adoption
Week 1.2: Understanding Health Behaviour: Theoretical Insights into Health
Communication
Changing behaviour
We use campaigns and interventions to promote behaviours
→ Effect x Reach = Public Health Impact
Week 1
Week 1.1: Introduction to the field of health communication
Science communication
1) Communication about science → public participation in defining and shaping
science
2) Communication of science → transmission of scientific knowledge from experts
to non-experts, aiming to promote science-based behaviour
Science communication: Goals
1) Share scientific findings
2) Improve scientific literacy and appreciation
3) Encourage public involvement in science
4) Influence public attitudes and behaviour related to science
Link between science communication and health communication
Examples:
- Vaccines → anti-vaccine attitudes need tailored messaging for greater
acceptance
- Genetically-modified (GM) food → opposition often rooted in health concerns;
communicators should appeal to underlying value systems
Science communication: Heuristics and mental shortcuts
1) Traditional deficit model → lack of knowledge explains public resistance to
science
2) Heuristics → people use mental shortcuts when evaluating complex topics
- Linked to the cognitive miser model (people avoid cognitive effort by
relying on shortcuts)
- Contagion heuristic → GM food is “contaminated” because of
foreign genes – leading to rejection
- Spillover effect → attitudes toward GM food influence attitudes
toward similar technologies
Framing effects in science communication
1) Emphasis framing → highlighting different aspects of an issue
2) Equivalence framing → presenting the same facts in different ways (example:
gain and loss framing)
,Health communication: The challenge
Never before in the history of mankind, have we been more depressed, obese,
diseased, stressed, lethargic, medicated, generally unhappy, and more unfulfilled then
when we find ourselves today
- 51% of Dutch adults are overweight → 3x more than 40 years ago
- 60% don’t engage in physical activity
- Low education → less PA
- More overweight → less PA
- 40% of Dutch youth is feeling lonely
Health communication: Definition
A field of study that involves the exchange of health-related information with different
populations with the aim to change or sustain a health behaviour or practice that can
improve public health outcomes
Health communication: Boomerang effect
Health communication should choose words carefully → not to sound too controlling
- Individuals value their freedom, so it shouldn’t be threatened
→ If threatened, reactance can occur (resistance) → Psychological
Reactance Theory (Brehm)
→ The resistance is driven by attentional bias - people start focusing more
on the behaviour you are trying to discourage
- If individuals are threatened, they will do or encourage the discouraged
behaviour
- How to reduce reactance?
- Restoration postscripts → emphasize choice
- Inoculation → pre-warnings
- Offering choices
- Highlighting prosocial outcomes
Effects of reactance
1) Omnivores → stronger reactance with more meat-related words
2) Vegetarians → stronger reactance when meat-related words are found
Health orientation: 4 elements
1) Health consciousness
2) Health information
3) Health beliefs
4) Health activities
,Health communication: Health consciousness
Definitions:
→ Voluntarily participation in health promotion activities; compliance with health
clinicians (90s)
→ Engagement in health behaviours; physiological attention to one’s health; information
seeking and usage; personal responsibility; health motivation (2010s)
Health consciousness: History
- Originated in US wellness movements in response to rising healthcare costs
- Wellness programs promoted prevention and holistic health approaches
- Wellness scale → an early measure of health consciousness based on:
- Self-responsibility for health
- Nutritional awareness
- Stress awareness/management
- Physical fitness
- Environmental sensitivity
Health consciousness: Aspects
1) Psychological aspect → thinking about it, attention to new information, motivation
2) Behavioural aspect → engagement in health behaviour, seeking health info
Health consciousness: Predictions
Health consciousness predicts:
- Health information seeking
- Processing and acceptance
- Participation in health communities
- Engagement in preventive behaviour
- Sense of self-control → stronger self-control → greater attention to health
information → behaviour change
Health consciousness and health communication
Health communication should aim to increase health consciousness to improve:
1) Message understanding
2) Message acceptance
3) Behavioural adoption
High health consciousness benefits
1) Active information seeking
2) Monitoring of health resources in the environment
3) Participation in online health communities → positive health outcomes
, Physical activity: WHO definition
Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure
- WHO recommendations: adults should have 150-300 minutes a week of PA
- Physical activity helps to:
- Manage depression, anxiety and ADHD
- Frequent movement can accumulate long-term benefits
Communication strategies to promote physical activity
Health communication interventions target:
1) Starting or maintaining activity routines
2) Shifting sedentary lifestyles
Effective communication channels for PA
1) SMS/text messages → motivational reminders
2) Social media platforms → peer support and progress sharing
3) Online support groups
4) Tailored messages → must fit health literacy and reading ability of the target
audience
Types of PA promoted
1) Aerobic activity → sustained activity using large muscles (running, cycling,
dancing)
2) Anaerobic activity → short, intense bouts (powerlifting and sprints)
Technology and physical activity
1) Wearables → track steps, workouts; allow SM sharing
2) Exergames (Wii Sports) → combine gaming with movement → positive effects
when users are satisfied with appearance
3) Health apps (Strava) → track physical activity and nutrition → gamification of the
process: badges, challenges and social competition
→ strong prediction of user engagement
4) AI chatbots → used with teens for prediabetes or stress management → shows
to increase motivation, empower users and support physical activity adoption
Week 1.2: Understanding Health Behaviour: Theoretical Insights into Health
Communication
Changing behaviour
We use campaigns and interventions to promote behaviours
→ Effect x Reach = Public Health Impact
