Focus: Health and Risk Communication

The ability to effectively and efficiently communicate about health and risk-related issues is becoming increasingly important. Hospitals, government agencies, health departments, news media organizations and public relations and other communication practitioners need to know how best to reach diverse audiences with timely and relevant messages, and the new Grady Center for Health and Risk Communication (CHRC) is an important interdisciplinary center of expertise.

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Fighting the tide: How U.S. health organizations use Twitter to address the opioid crisis Andrea Briscoe, Bartosz Wojdynski & Hyoyeun Jun

Abstract: This content analysis evaluated tweets about the opioid epidemic published in 2018 by U.S. federal and state health organizations to find out what components of both textual and visual of tweets can achieve the most effective communication for opioid epidemic including text characteristics, perceived discrete emotion and visual components of images. This study found […]

Where readers look, and what they miss Bartosz Wojdynski, Camila Espina, Kate Keib, Jennifer Malson & Hyejin Bang

Abstract: Participants (N=88) in a two-condition (Facebook post information level: high vs. low) mixed factorial design took part in a laboratory experiment that utilized eye tracking to gauge what areas of the page in common news layouts attract viewers’ gaze, and whether this viewing amount of information about the story disclosed in the Facebook posts. […]

Image and framing effects on perceptions of self-efficacy and body satisfaction María Len-Ríos

Abstract: This study, in the context of encouraging participants to enroll in a company’s employee wellness program, uses gain-loss framing (Rothman & Salovey, 1997) and social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) to examine the effects of messages on participant perceptions of self-efficacy for maintaining a healthy weight, consuming healthful foods and body satisfaction. A 2 (framing: […]

Advertising a Health Product Brand on Facebook Joe Phua

Abstract: The current study examined the effects of 3 types of Facebook reaction icons (positive, neutral, negative) and valence of comments (positive, neutral, negative) on brand attitude, trust, information seeking, purchase intention, and eWOM intention towards a health brand. Additionally, the study also assessed potential moderating effects of social media use on the relationship between […]

Effects of Message Framing on Influenza Vaccination Ivanka (Radovic) Pjesivac

Abstract: The current study examined the effects of framing in promotional health messages on intention to vaccinate against seasonal influenza virus. The findings of the experimental study (n=86) indicated that exposure to both benefits and side effects of vaccination (gain-framed with risk disclosure message) led to lower intention to receive the flu vaccine. This relationship […]

Exploring the Role of Social Support in Promoting Patient Participation in Health Care among Women with Breast Cancer Jeong-Yeob Han

Abstract: Scholars have adopted Street’s (2003) ecological model of medical communication to investigate the factors promoting patient participation in health care. However, factors demonstrated in the ecological model were bounded in the context of medical care between physicians and patients. Social factors, such as patients’ relationships and supportive communication with others outside the context of […]

A Longitudinal Investigation of Empathic Exchanges in Online Cancer Support Groups Jeong-Yeob Han

Abstract: Although recent empirical findings have suggested evidence of expression effect over reception effect, there remain both theoretical and methodological complexities concerning whether and under what condition message expression and reception exert influence on various psychosocial outcomes. Relying on social support theory and computational social science approaches, this study aims to examine the effects of […]

The Effect of Brand-issue Fit on a Corporate Health-promotion Campaign Jooyoung Kim

Abstract: This study investigated the effect of perceived brand-issue fit on consumer responses to a health-promotion campaign, and advertising message strategy effects (elaborational vs. relational) on consumer responses under high and low brand-issue fit conditions. Results indicated that a campaign with high brand-issue fit, compared to a campaign with low brand-issue fit, elicited more favorable […]

Electronic Cigarette Brand Posts on Instagram Joe Phua and Jung Min Hahm

Abstract: This study examined the relationships between endorser type (celebrities, regular people, products only) on e-cigarette Instagram brand pages, identification, source credibility, attention to social comparison, health consciousness, and SNS use, on attitudes towards e-cigarettes and e-cigarette smoking intentions. Results of a between-subjects experiment revealed that celebrity endorsers resulted in significantly more positive attitudes towards […]

Consumer Responses Toward Cosmeceutical Advertising Jhih-Syuan (Elaine) Lin, Jooyoung Kim, Juan Meng & Hanyoung Kim

Abstract: consumers usually see cosmeceuticals (cosmetics+pharmaceuticals) as an ambiguous object and have ambivalent attitudes due to product benefits (positive) and potential side effects (negative), this study examines the interplay between regulatory focus and advertising claims in determining attitude change and purchase intentions toward cosmeceutical sunscreen products. The findings suggest that promotion-focused consumers respond more favorably […]