Comprehensive Report: Public Health Communication, ACU PUBH303

This report offers a comprehensive overview of public health communication, encompassing essential aspects such as audience, settings, approach, and purpose. It delves into the goals of public health communication, including behavior change, influencing perceptions, and advocating for better health policies, while also acknowledging its limitations. The report further examines health literacy, its significance, and influencing factors, particularly within the Australian context. It then explores public health communication planning, including the communication planning cycle and the PRECEDE-PROCEED framework. The role of scientific evidence, public health informatics, and program evaluation are also discussed. The report also investigates public health communication methods, persuasive communication strategies, and the role of new media, mass media, and multimedia in health communication. Finally, it covers advocacy, policy communication, and ethical considerations, providing a holistic understanding of effective public health communication strategies. This report provides a detailed analysis of the subject matter.

Running head: PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 1
Public health communication
Name
Institution

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2
Lecture 1
Public health communication
Public health communication refers to the multifaceted and multidisciplinary strategies to
reach different audience to share the researched health related information among them with the
goals of supporting, influencing and transforming the community with a policy which will
benefit the entire population health-wise (Alhayan, Pennington & Ayouni, 2018, April).
Essential aspects of public health communication
Audience. These are the targeted population or members of the public who should be informed
about various aspects of their health being and status.
Settings. It’s the specific venue like hospitals, homes or public gatherings where the intended
health information should be communicated to the members of the public to reach to a large
number of the population.
Approach. It signifies how the health practitioners will communicate the intended health
information to the public without offending another group of audience.
Purpose. This is the intention of the information passed. It the reason why the public is being
informed on that particular health issue.
Goals of public health communication
Public health has the following mentioned goal to achieve among the population. For
instance, change the behaviors of the population, to influence public perspective to facilitate
disease diagnosis, treatment and control, to influence the perceptions, norms and beliefs which

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are against the well-being of the people and advocates for better health policies to improve the
public health and well-being (Avery, 2017).
Limitations of public health communication
Public health communication cannot account for shortage of enough treatment or
preventive option for certain disease. Based on the objective of the information passed, it is
aimed at providing health information but not to compensate for the absence of other health
policies (Connolly, Uscinski, Klofstad & West, 2019).
The information passed cannot be independent thus it has to be supported by other health
departments or marketing interventions. By working with other health departments, the issue
being addressed or the information being passed will positively impact the population health
through the laid down strategies (Park, Reber & Chon, 2016).
Lecture 2
Communicating to the public
Health literacy
Health literacy is categorized into two groups that are individual and public health literacy
where individual health literacy is the cognitive and social skills which influence the drive and
the ability of individuals to receive, to understand and apply health information to promote good
health.
Importance of health literacy
Health literacy enables people to make better health decision in their everyday lives like at
home, within the community and in the health care system. Poor health literacy is associated
with the increased rate of hospitalization and overall poor health status which has resulted to
various health consequences like misunderstandings about public health warnings, lack of

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 4
preparations for emergencies and also missed opportunities for health services like free
vaccination programs (Glowacki, Glowacki, Chung & Wilcox, 2019).
Health literacy in Australia
The health literacy in Australia is not static and does not depend on the level of the edition
of the public. Based on the national statement on health history, the statement proposed an
organized procedure to improve the health literacy of Australians across the identified three
areas:
1. incorporating the health literacy into the health care system thus through legislations and
education curriculums
2. Better health communication of health information between providers and users of the
information
3. Incorporate health literacy in the education of adults and children health care providers.

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Factors impacting health literacy
Communication skills
To effectively passed or communicate health information to the public, there is a need for
the health practitioner to developed strong communicating skills which will ease the
understanding of the information.
Public beliefs on the health topic
Public beliefs and knowledge on certain health topic will impact the health literacy either
positively or negatively depending on the intention of the policy being communicated.
Cultural and linguistic factors
This entails practices of certain health behavior which can increase the risk of adverse health
outcome. It is the cultural understanding of health, illness and disease.
Contextual factors
Such factors include fear and stress, patient-provider relationships and rural and remote
locations of the community.
Lecture 3
Public health communication plan
Plan in public health communication is essential in that they assist in understanding the
health issues to be addressed and the main elements impacting health solutions. To develop a
clear understanding of key audiences’ characteristics and lifestyles.

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Communication planning cycle
Macro plan. It entails analysis of the problem, core intervention strategy and the target
population.
Strategic health communication plan. In this stage, concepts, key points and media
strategies are tested. It is known as formative research.
Implementation plan. In this stage, things to be done, procedures for performing them,
sources of financing money and the responsible personnel for the work to be performed.
Evaluation plan. It entails identification of which part of intervention should be monitored
to give the value of the project to stakeholders.

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 7
The PRECEDE-PRECEED framework for planning
This framework is interpreted backwards from the required level of health and quality of life
and check on what environment, behavior, individual motivation or administrative policy is
necessary to create that healthy state.
Phase 1: How serious is the problem.
Defining the ultimate outcome-based your research on what the community wants and
needs. Community involvement procedure? Rather than just seeking for opinions about what
would improve the community, it’s far more powerful to involve community members from the
beginning.
Phase 2 identifying the issues
Select those that are most important need to look at behavioral and environmental factors that
hinder one from achieving result or conditions that have to be attained to achieve the result.

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Phase 3-examine the factors
• Predisposing factors—concerned with the one’s knowledge, attitudes, behavior, beliefs, and
values before convincing them to change.
• Enabling factors— they’re factors which influence ones take on the change.
• Reinforcing factors—impacts of adopting the behavior (including social support) that influence
continuing the behavior.
Phase 4 –Identifying best practice and other sources of guidance for intervention design.
Lecture 4
Understanding and reporting scientific evidence
The essence of science in public health is to assess the state of scientific knowledge about a
specific topic or issue and to communicate scientific findings to laypersons with an eye toward
what the findings mean for their audiences.
Scientific consensus
Comprehensive organization reports -agencies bring together groups of scientists to
conduct systematic reviews of scientific literature on a range of specific topics. E.g. Cochrane
Collaboration (Park, Bowling, Shaw, Li & Chen, 2019).
Consensus conference reports-leading experts asked to reach consensus on a topic based on
their research.
Meta-analysis- pool data from multiple sources on the same topic to estimate the level of
association between exposure A and outcome B.

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 9
Public health and informatics
Public health informatics refers to the procedural application of information and computer
science and technology to public health practice, research and learning (Lin, Spence, Sellnow &
Lachlan, 2016).
Principles of public health informatics
Promotion of health standards in the general population is one of the principles of public
health. This can be achieved through the sharing of medical information and findings by the
medical teams globally in an attempt to find cure and prevention methods for the diseases.
Emphasize on preventive measures of injury and ailment various changes such change of a
situation and the environmental setting that predispose populations to the infection. Through
removal of the predisposing factors from the residential places ensures prevention of injuries and
another related disease.
Consideration of control mechanisms. The strategies will be of health benefit to the public
since it advocates for preventive and control mechanisms of contracting common infections like
cholera.
Challenges associated with data collection
Overselling the benefits-informatics and more availability of health-related data will not
address the long-standing root causes of public health problems.
Complex information systems and technology. Generally, information systems and
technology has become more complex to be used by local medical professions due to their
limited technical knowledge hence posting a challenge to the public health informatics
deportment.
Expense-IT systems can be finically expensive to acquire, develop and maintain.

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 10
Lecture 5
Evaluation of public health communication program
Program evaluation is defined as the systematic gathering of information about the
characteristics, activities and results of programs to make judgments about the program, improve
program effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about the future program.
Reasons for program evaluation
To check on the progress based on the program’s goals. The progress of the public health
program will is effectively monitored through evaluation by the medical providers or the
research team.
To evaluate whether the program components are according to the desired progress on
objectives. Based on the goals and objectives set for the program, the evaluation will help to
determine whether it will meet its designed objectives or goals.
To permit comparisons among groups, particularly among populations with
disproportionately high-risk factors and adverse health outcomes and to justify the need for
further funding and support.
Three central evaluation question
Design (Are You Doing the Right Things?)
Demonstration of the program depends on whether it is evidence-based regarding entirety or
the elements that make it up, hence leading to the effectiveness of the previous studies. If the
evidence doesn’t exist for the program then evaluator points this out to program planners and
recommends research be a component of the evaluation.

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Fidelity monitoring (Are You Doing the Right Things Right?)
Data is collected periodically to prove faithfulness of the program activities in regard to the
original program plan.
Outcome (Are You Doing Enough Of The Right Things To Make A Difference?)
Data-Is there enough data from exposed and unexposed audience members to detect a
between-group program related difference of a realistic size?
Evaluation phases
Formative evaluation: This is a process that usually occur before the stages of development and
implementation of a program, thus providing information, guides and as well as validating all the
elements of health communication plan.
The process Evaluationx/measurement: determine expected outcome for particular
activities, resources and information. Things evaluated comprises of audience relationship,
people present and community or stakeholder endorsement of the program’s key concepts.
Summative Evaluation: Measures program effectiveness concerning the original objectives
initially outlined in the plan.
Lecture 6
Formative
evaluation
Process
Evaluation/
measureme
nt:
Summative
Evaluation

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 12
The public health communication method
Formative Research
It comprises of a gathering of information before developing a communication strategy. It
either uses qualitative and quantitative methods.
Qualitative and quantitative research
Quantitative research is an approach that is commonly employed in the process of problems
identification and precursors, and also as well as intervention and the process of evaluating an
intervention. E.g. qualitative research provides the back story of data from the questionnaires
regarding the teenagers who are smokers
Research Methods
Behavioral Observation
Most health marketing programs attempt to alter behaviors of various individuals. Therefore it
is crucial to observe the behavior in the setting practiced .e.g. might use the handwashing
handout and analyze this behavior (White, et al., 2015).
Asking Questions-In-Depth Interviews
It is done as the first step before developing a focus group or to interview people who work
with the community intending to influence them. Advantage of the in-depth interview as opposed
to focus group is that it is easier to arrange e.g. for homeless people.
Focus Groups
8-10 people who share certain characteristics can often learn as much this way compared
with conducting hundreds of surveys. A small number of people are recruited carefully so they
are representative of the group you wish to study.
Surveys

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Usually administered by telephone or self-administered e.g. via the internet. The targeted
population may be represented through a clearly defined survey in the earlier stages.
Lecture 7
Being a Persuasive Health Communicator
Components of a communication strategy
User centered-means we put the intended user of the product as center of all decisions.
Benefit orientated-focus on benefits of product instead of attributes.
Distributed –multiple ways an intended user can obtain information/products to help them
change behavior. Emphasis is on self-efficacy and community empowerment.
Communicating for policy and Advocacy
advocacy can be defined as any effort put in place to influence the opinion and attitudes of
the general public that have direct affect to people’s lives. On the other hand, policy may as well
be defined as any course of action or principle of action that is adopted or proposed by a
government, party, occupational or individual.
Challenges of advocacy
Always powerful groups with large economic interests at stake that have the resources to
push a policy agenda. These groups pay for surveys and studies that support their positions,
trying to ensure they get into the media (Jha, Lin & Savoia, 2016).
Challenge for public health practitioners is that long term research and data surveillance that
can support advocacy takes a long time to produce. Public health practitioners’ work often
achieves results in 10 or more years whereas elected officials work in an environment driven by
election cycles and legislative calendars (Vraga, et al., 2017).

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 14
Lecture 8
New Media, Mass Media and Multimedia
Medias that employs the use of digital technologies such computer games, mobile gargets,
internet, among other items are classified as new media.
M- health: entails the use of mobile and wireless technological gargets for health-related
intercessions seeking to improve both patient and the positive outcomes of public health (Guidry,
et al. 2017).
Advantages of new media
It has broadened the traditional and more elitist notion of expert knowledge in searching and
gathering public health information.
New media has enhanced the connection of people from different disciplines to work together
for the benefit of the public in terms of health information and findings (Ems & Gonzales, 2016).
Lecture 9
Risk and Emergency Communication
Risk: the chance of danger, loss, injury or other adverse consequence
Attributes, characteristic or exposure of individuals to the increased likelihood of developing
a disease or injury is known as a risk. According to Tanner, et al. (2017) underweight,
unprotected sex, high blood pressure, consumption of hard drugs, contaminated water and
sanitation are some of the important factors of a risk. Risk communication can be said to be a
two-way information exchange that exist between the interested parties concerning the nature
and in addition to the risk control measures.
Importance of risk communication

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 15
According to Spence, et al. (2016), risk communication is very crucial in that it helps in
improving general understanding of the public, regarding prospective or actual health threats,
communicating the probabilities and significances of identified jeopardies to affected
individuals, hence help the public in making informed decisions concerning risk mitigation
procedures
Issues with Risk Communication
Selective reporting by news media
Journalists highly selective in reporting about risk-inclined towards more dramatic or
sensational situations e.g. natural disasters (Svensson, 2017).
Psychological or social factors
Apathy-people may lack motivation or are just not interested in learning about a risk or risk
factor and also Overconfidence leads people to dismiss risk information; overconfidence higher
when the risk is voluntary (Tandoc Jr, Lim & Ling, 2018).
Lecture 10
Communicating in teams and the workplace
Interpersonal communication in the workplace
Emotional intelligence comprises of self-awareness, self-management, and empathy and
social skills.
Working in teams

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Roles to accomplish the task, solve the problem, or make the necessary decisions, providing
critical, yet constructive, feedback and lastly recording decisions like meeting minutes. Initiating
discussion, taking charge and encouraging others by keeping things positive and creating a safe
environment.
Types of group conflicts
Procedural: procedure-focused; arises when members disagree about the steps that should be
taken to achieve the goal.
Inequity: contribution-focused; arises when members feel that not everyone is pulling their
weight.
Substantive: task-focused; arises when critically evaluating ideas, alternatives, pros and cons.
Affective: member-focused; arises when members behave in inappropriate, dysfunctional wayss
or communicate poorly.
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PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION 17
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