The #1 Resource for the Communication Field
The ways that we communicate can have an enormous effect on our health, and likewise, our health influences the ways that we communicate. The academic field of health communication has developed rapidly over the last few decades. Researchers have studied both mass communication and interpersonal communication, developing a wealth of information that shows exactly how communicative skills and health relate to one another and how we can find ways to improve both. These articles explore how advertising, interpersonal skill development and other forms of communication can affect physical health. We will look at how policy and research can promote better public health, how mass media shapes our opinions of what is healthy, and how diet and medication can affect individual health. We also look at the latest scientific studies that give some insight to the field of health communication.
I came into this Movember excited about the possibilities the month held for my facial hair — because it seems all other months of the year I can never find an excuse great enough to overcome the humiliation of a blonde mustache. I had never participated in Movember, but I decided this year would be [...] Read more »
A new online tool draws attention to how young people are exposed to radio ads for wine, beer and hard liquor. The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth developed the tool at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health by tracking and analyzing the consistency of alcohol-related ads in 75 radio markets in 2009. Read more »
In spite of the strong link between sexual function and a person's overall health, the subject is unlikely to come up in a doctor’s office. In fact, according to a new study, a majority of doctors skirt the issue entirely. Of those physicians who do attempt an assessment of their patients' sexual function, most ask superficial questions that shed little light on issues that could signal underlying problems. Read more »
According to a new study by researchers at Penn State, what patients and their families believe about religion and genetics makes a difference in the way they react when told that they have a health problem. Roxanne Parrott, lead author of the study, explained that greater understanding of the different ways in which people react to being diagnosed with an illness helps professionals develop effective communication strategies. Read more »
Television’s bad influence on viewers’ eating habits has long been a source of concern for health experts and parents. However, a new study by researchers in Italy shows that the more exposure to newspapers, television and the Internet people have, the healthier they eat. The study found that the more participants used television, newspapers and the Internet as a source of information, the more closely they adhered to a traditional Mediterranean diet. Read more »
“What would Samantha and Miranda do?” New research suggests that may be the question viewers of HBO's Sex and the City may be asking themselves when it comes to discussing sexual health issues with partners. Read more »
New research makes one ask the question of what is more important: less wrinkles or being an effective communicator? A new study by USC and Duke found that Botox injections are damaging patients ability to read emotions. Once using Botox, those treated have more trouble reading what others are thinking and feeling. Read more »
Alexithymia is a relatively new word in the scientific world and is a term that represents an inability to understand, process, and describe emotions. Each of us has some level of alexithymia, but this personality trait is often found with other conditions on the autism spectrum, as well as post-traumatic stress disorders. It has also been shown to be related to eating and panic disorders, as well as substance abuse. Read more »
New research from North Carolina State University shows that most online news stories about cancer contain language that likely contributes to public uncertainty about the disease – a significant finding, given that at least one-third of Americans seek health information online. Read more »
Celebrity journalism is often considered to be without merit, discounted due to its sensational details and lack of news value. MU researchers now say that celebrity journalism may be an underappreciated way to communicate health messages. In a recent award-winning paper, Amanda Hinnant, assistant professor of magazine journalism in the University of Missouri School of Journalism, found some readers of celebrity health stories report that the stories have an impact on their own behavior and how they discuss health issues. Read more »