Leadership Class Chapter 6

Personal Communication (Channels for Health Behavior Change)

Oldest, most traditional channel, group Meetings, phone calls, one-on-one meetings

Delivered to individuals, in small groups, to organizations, or to entire communities (Personal Communication)

Home, school, worksite, church, community or commercial agency, primary care setting, health fair, tend to be very effective but also very time consuming

Print media Examples

Informational pamphlets and brochures, newsletters, articles and newspaper inserts, advertisements, self-help materials and books, exercise diaries, direct mailings, and poster and billboard displays. Can be informative, persuasive or promotional. Many are available free or at a low cost from nonprofit professional organizations.

Communications program

May work in a better culture that supports physical activity and in an environment that makes it easy to bike and walk

Electronic Media

Includes radio, video, telephone and computers. Current electronic media channels available such as email, internet, chat rooms, instant messaging, and text paging, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, web-enabled television. Effective as more people have electronic access. Research focuses on tailoring electronic media for health behavior change to specific populations

Many Individuals in which people receive messages

Because of this, it is important to coordinate health behavior messages across different delivery methods.

Policy and Environmental Approaches

Suggests that the most effective interventions should change all levels of influence, including psychological, social, policy, and environmental factors.

Examples of Policy and Environmental Approaches

Mandating walking paths in neighborhoods, signs for stairways, clean and working playground/park equipment, developing school gym class standards

Advocacy

Communicating directed at policy makers to promote policies and programs to support (health behavior change)

Audience

The intended receiver of a communicaiton or health program

Channel

a mode of communication or access for delivering for health program

Context

the setting where people may be reached with communications or programs

Message

information that is intended to be communicated

Policy

an organizational statement or rule meant to influence behavior

Reach

The extent to which a message or program is delivered to the target population