Understanding Health Communication Foundations Vocabulary

Flashcards on Health Communication Foundations

Health

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Whole person health

Looking at the whole person—not just separate organs or body systems—and considering multiple factors that promote either health or disease.

Systems-level factors

External in#uences on an individual’s health and health behaviors, such as social, cultural, mass media, organizational, governmental, and environmental factors.

Communication inequalities

Differences among social groups in their ability to generate, disseminate, and use information at the macro level and to access, process, and act on information at the individual level.

Digital Divide

A gap exists between individuals advantaged by the internet and individuals relatively disadvantaged by the internet because of dierences in access and utilization.

Health communication

Study of messages that create meaning in relation to physical, mental, and social well-being.

Theory

Organized set of concepts and explanations about a phenomenon

Health Belief Model

People’s health behavior is influenced by five beliefs (perceived susceptibility to disease, perceived severity of disease, perceived benefits of engaging in the behavior, perceived barriers to engaging in the behavior, and self-ecacy) and motivated by internal and external cues to action.

Integrated Model of Behavioral Prediction

Attitude toward a behavior, subjective norms about what other people do, and perceived behavioral control predict behavioral intention, which predicts the behavior itself.

Communication infrastructure theory (CIT)

Ecological model that describes how communication infrastructures within neighborhoods, called storytelling networks (STNs), influence individual and community-level health outcomes.

Methods

Strategies researchers use to study phenomena of interest.

Quantitative methods

Requires data in numerical form so that the data can be analyzed through statistical techniques.

Qualitative methods

Requires data that allows for in-depth analysis of the socially constructed meanings of language and behavior.

Mixed-methods research

Combines both quantitative and qualitative methods to provide a more holistic understanding of their topic of study.

Paradigm

A way of looking at the nature of the social world

Multidisciplinary research

Involves scholars from two or more disciplines independently investigating the communication dimension of a health problem.

Interdisciplinary research

Involves researchers from two or more disciplines working collaboratively to investigate a health problem or the communication aspect of a health problem.

Research translation

Taking study results and translating them from research contexts to actual community and practice settings.

Discrimination

Prejudicial treatment of others based on their personal characteristics (e.g., race, gender).

Microaggressions

“Everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.”

Social Determinants of Health

Nonmedical factors that in#uence health outcomes

Health disparities

Particular type of health di!erence that is closely linked with social, economic, or environmental disadvantage.

Intersectionality

Recognizes that individuals have multiple social identities reflecting a variety of distinct characteristics, such as race, sex, age, gender, (dis)ability, and socioeconomic status.

Theoretical Frameworks

Frameworks that have been used in health communication research to examine discrimination.

Health equity

Attainment of the highest level of health for all people.

Ism

Distinctive practice, system, philosophy, or ideology that centers on negative attitudes and beliefs about groups of individuals who embody characteristics that di!er from the ‘norm’ of our society

Implicit bias

Form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally.

Ableism

Ideas, practices, institutions and social relations that presume ablebodiedness, and by so doing, construct persons with dis- abilities as marginalized