Health Communication Strategies Flashcards

Which evaluation method BEST assesses whether a health communication campaign reached its intended audience?

Answer: Process evaluation measuring reach, exposure, and engagement metrics

Process evaluation tracks implementation fidelity including reach (who received the message) and exposure (how often), which directly measures audience reach.

The 'extended parallel process model' (EPPM) predicts that health threat messages will motivate protective behavior change ONLY when:

Answer: Perceived threat is high AND perceived efficacy to address the threat is also high

EPPM (Witte) holds that high perceived threat motivates action only when paired with high efficacy; without efficacy, high fear leads to defensive avoidance.

When a health communication message produces an outcome opposite to its intended effect, this is called:

Answer: Reactance or boomerang effect

Reactance (boomerang effect) occurs when audiences resist perceived threats to their autonomy, sometimes increasing the very behavior the message tried to reduce.

A health educator wants to promote flu vaccination using testimonials from community members. This strategy primarily leverages:

Answer: Social proof and narrative persuasion to normalize vaccination behavior

Testimonials from peers create social proof and narrative transportation, making vaccination feel normal and relatable through story-based persuasion.

Which principle of the 'plain language' guidelines for health materials requires using active voice?

Answer: Writing for the reader by making content clear, concise, and actionable

Plain language guidelines advocate for active voice, short sentences, common words, and a logical structure to make health information accessible to all readers.

Digital health communication strategies must address the 'digital divide' by:

Answer: Ensuring equitable access to technology and digital literacy support for underserved populations

The digital divide reflects unequal access to technology; equitable health communication requires addressing both hardware/internet access and digital literacy barriers.

A CHES practitioner is conducting formative research before launching a health campaign. The PRIMARY purpose of formative research is to:

Answer: Understand the target audience's needs, preferences, and barriers to inform campaign design

Formative research is conducted before implementation to gather audience insights that shape message content, channel selection, and overall campaign strategy.