Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Interest Group 2010 Abstracts
The Differences That Matter: Identifying Predictors of Attitudes toward Binge Drinking and Anti-Binge Drinking Public Service Announcements among College Students • Hoyoung (Anthony) Ahn, University of Tennessee; Lei Wu, University of Tennessee; Stephanie Kelly, University of Tennessee • Bing drinking is a prevalent problem on college campuses which has been shown to affect students’ health, social life, and academic performance. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are government funded social marketing campaigns whose purpose is to present specific audiences with unbiased information in hopes of inducing beneficial behavioral change. Despite almost three decades of initiative, PSAs targeting the college drinking issue have been largely ineffective at inducing behavioral change. This study sought to better understand the college drinking phenomenon by investigating how norms of drinking acceptability and perspectives of PSAs differ between sexes. A number of sex differences were identified. Findings and implications are discussed for both researchers and PSA practitioners.
Models: The Missing Piece in Climate Change Coverage • Karen Akerlof, George Mason University • As the sole tool for projecting future climate trends under conditions of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, climate models form the basis for global warming risk assessments and are inextricably linked to policy formation. In an analysis of media coverage across four U.S. national newspapers from 1998-2007 and 20 media sources frequented by high-knowledge U.S. audiences for the year 2007, there was little mention of climate models overall though comparatively high levels in political commentary outlets.
The shifting agenda: A scientific event and its print and online coverage • Ashley Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin • While much is known about how science is covered in traditional media, including sources journalists tend to use (e.g. Tanner, 2004) and what news values inform how an issue is covered (e.g. Galtung & Ruge, 1965), scholars are still exploring how scientific issues end up in online media. Here, we analyze as a case study media coverage of a scientific study examining the deaths of Chinese factory workers due to lung damage from their repeated exposure to nanoparticles. We argue that the scientific study results embody the news values that would make them a prime candidate for news coverage. Nevertheless, mentions of the event in traditional print media were nearly non-existent. Online media, on the other hand, covered it widely. We offer an explanation for why the agenda for print and online media were different in this particular context and discuss why this case exemplifies the importance of the online media environment for science communication scholars.
Public Information Officers’ Perceived Control in Setting Local Public Health Agendas and the Impact of Community Size • Elizabeth Avery, University of Tennessee • Using an agenda-setting perspective, this research analyzes data collected from 281 local public health information officers (PIOs) serving various community sizes, from rural to urban, across the country to reveal how size of their communities as well as state and federal agencies affect public health promotion. Findings reveal low levels of perceived control in setting the local public health agenda among urban PIOs while rural practitioners reported surprisingly high levels of control.
Talking Green: Green Quad, Communication Behavior and Environmental Norms • Daphney Barr, University of South Carolina; Caroline Foster, University of South Carolina • The current study explores the role of Green Quad living on student residents’ attitudes and tendency to action, including talking, information seeking and conserving/recycling resources, on environmental issues. While residents are talking about the environment, their conversations are frequently inhibited by lack of knowledge, lack of interest within social groups and lack of prompts to talk about these issues. When they seek environmental information, they first turn to the internet and then to resources provided by the Green Quad Residence Hall. Residents indicated concern for reliability and credibility of environmental information. Residents note a lack of internalization of environmental actions and a lack of interest in environmental topics among peer groups. This research related residents’ lack of internalization of environmental actions to the lack of environment as a normal part of daily life.
Measuring Perceptions of Emerging Technologies: Errors in Survey Self-Reports and Their Potential Impact on Communication of Public Opinion Toward Science • Andrew Binder, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Michael Cacciatore, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin; Bret Shaw, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Elizabeth Corley, Arizona State University • This study present an extensive comparison of two alternative measures of citizens’ perceptions of risks and benefits of emerging technologies. By focusing on two specific issues (nanotechnology and biofuels), we derive several important insights for the measurement of public views of science. Most importantly, our analyses reveals that relying on global, single-item measures may lead to invalid inferences regarding exogenous influences on public perceptions, particularly those related to cognitive schema and media use. Beyond these methodological implications, this analysis suggests several reasons why researchers in the area of public attitudes toward science must revisit notions of measurement in order to accurately inform the general public, policymakers, scientists, and journalists of trends in public opinion toward emerging technologies.
The low-down on low-fat and sugar free: Using media to improve children’s health literacy, knowledge of nutrition, and attitudes toward eating and exercise • Kim Bissell, University of Alabama; Scott Parrott, The University of Alabama • While a variety of factors may be related to a child’s likelihood to be overweight or obese, relatively little is known about the factors most relevant in the prevention of the disease. The overarching objective for this study was two-fold in that it provided broader understanding of children’s general level of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior as it relates to health, and it implemented an intervention program designed to increase children’s overall health literacy. The health literacy program developed and implemented here integrated critical thinking skills along with project-based and activity-based learning so that participants received more than a one-time lecture on health and physical activity. Results suggest that gains in health literacy are possible. Using experimental data to test the effectiveness of a health literacy program, post-test measures of cognition, attitudes, and behavior related to health, nutrition, and exercise demonstrated significant gains across demographic groups in all three areas. More importantly, the greater gains in all three key areas of health literacy were found in children at the greatest risk of becoming overweight or obese–younger children and non-White children. The present study summarizes the health literacy intervention program and presents results from a pre-test/post-test within-subjects experiment conducted during the fall of 2009. These and other findings are discussed.
Emergency Risk Communication in the University Community: Exploring Factors Affecting Use for SMS Emergency-Alert service • Jee Young Chung, University of Alabama; Doohwang Lee, University of Alabama • The present study aims to investigate determinants of college students’ use of emergency-alert service provided by their educational institution, especially the use of a Short Message Service (SMS), which has become one of effective communication tools among college students. The results suggested that social norm and individuals’ perceived intrusiveness toward the service were primary determinants of being SMS emergency-alert service subscriber.
Empowering the Patient to Maximize the HealthCare Exam Andrea Ciletti, Hawaii Pacific University; Penny Pence Smith, Hawaii Pacific University • Previous research has focused on improving health communication, mostly targeting healthcare providers or systems. Recent thinking suggests that patient’s health literacy and preparedness may be an important key to a successful outcome. This study considers more patient participation in doctor patient communication, exploring the PACE guide, to assist patients in exam preparation. A patient sample was willing to use the guide, but healthcare providers interviewed about the guide were less confident about its contribution.
Amplifying Risk to Activate Protection Motivation: Merck’s Gardasil Campaign • Susan Grantham, University of Hartford; Lee Ahern, Penn State; Colleen Connolly-Ahern, Penn State University • In 2006 Merck introduced Gardasil in the United States through its One Less campaign. The campaign highlighted how the three-shot series of vaccines protected against the transmission of HPV and minimized the risk of cervical cancer. The occurrence of cervical cancer has dropped dramatically in recent decades through the use of annual pap smears and no longer ranks in the top 10 of health issues affecting women today. The One Less campaign effectively used social amplification to heighten the perceived health risk associated with HPV. The issue was framed to create the impression that one could either forego the vaccine series, thereby increasing their risk of catching HPV, or undergo the vaccine series and minimize their risk The purpose of this study was to determine how young women (current age 18-25) learned about Gardasil, how the campaign dealt with various dimensions of risk from HPV and cervical cancer and how much of an impact the One Less campaign had on the patient’s decision to receive or decline the Gardasil vaccines. Overwhelming, the participants learned about Gardasil from television advertising. Additionally, the participants felt that the campaign addressed the control and empowerment dimensions of the risk associated with HPV and cervical cancer. While the campaign effectively raised awareness about these issues, participants reported that physicians remained the primary sources of influence when the young women chose to receive or decline the vaccine series.
Unrealistic optimism: A systematic review of perceptions of health risks. • Sherine El-Toukhy, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • This paper is a systematic review of the literature on optimistic bias in perceptions of health risks. Out of 518 studies, the study included a total of 55 studies that met the inclusion criteria, from 2000 to 2008, to (a) examine the level of support for the optimistic bias phenomenon, (b) identify the most significant predictors or correlates with optimism, and finally (c) examine whether optimistic bias influences health behavior, and if so, in what way. The study found immense support for optimism in perceptions of health risks. People do underestimate their perceptions of health risks. This holds true even in the presence of objective risk factors that require a person to take proactive behaviors. However, other variables exercise an influence on optimistic bias, thus enhancing or diminishing it. These variables fall under one of three categories: individual-specific, target-specific, or situation-specific factors. For individual-specific factors, prior experience/ history with a disease, self-esteem, sense of uniqueness, perceived control and ability to protect oneself were consistently found to be associated with optimistic bias. Similarly, size of the target group and similarity with the target were two target-specific variables that have been found to correlate with optimism. Finally, for situation-specific factors, frequency or commonness of a health risk has been found to correlate with lower levels of optimism. Finally, the relationship between optimism and health behavior was found to be inconsistent. Implications for health communication theory and practice are discussed.
Employing Strategic Ambiguity in a Multimedia Message: The Case of Hurricane Charley • Gina Eosco, University of Kentucky; Shari Veil, University of Oklahoma; Kevin Kloesel, OU College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences/National Weather Center • This study examines how uncertainty is communicated during hurricane forecasts, specifically focusing on Hurricane Charley in 2004. In the case of Hurricane Charley, the audience’s interpretation of the visual representation of a hurricane track projection, called the cone of uncertainty, was that the situation was certain, causing some to forgo preparations that could have limited damage in the wake of the storm. This study explores the verbal and visual message objectives of hurricane forecasters to determine whether strategic ambiguity is employed in presenting the cone of uncertainty. Nineteen interviews with hurricane forecasters are analyzed to determine the objectives of the verbal and visual messages in hurricane forecasts. The study found that forecasters unconsciously use strategic ambiguity for their verbal messages and explores two explanations for why there was still public confusion: inconsistent multi-organizational use of strategic ambiguity, or the power of the visual to unravel the ambiguity
A Content Analysis of Prosocial Behavior on Sid the Science Kid • Caitlin Evans, Western Michigan University; Jocelyn Steinke, Western Michigan University • Sid the Science Kid is a science-based educational program aired on PBS. Using Social Cognitive Theory, this study focuses on the potential prosocial behavior displayed in Sid the Science Kid. In the 25 episodes analyzed, the most prevalent prosocial behavior was appreciation/appraisal behavior/giving a compliment followed by cooperation/sharing and close behind was rule adherence/compliance. The current study also found preschool-aged characters displayed more prosocial behavior than adult characters.
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The Role of Perceived Risk and Self-efficacy in Health Information Seeking, Preventive Behaviors and Choice of Media Channels • Eun Go, University of Florida • This study examined the ways in which the interaction of perceived risk and efficacy on information seeking and, preventive behavior. In addition, it explored how risk perception and self-efficacy guide people’s selection of health information channels in the context of cancer prevention. By identifying the media usage patterns of individuals with regard to their level of perceived risk and self-efficacy, this study aims to provide useful insights into the factors that the effectiveness of health-related messages.
Across the Great Divide: Boundaries and Boundary Objects in Art and Science • Megan Halpern, Cornell University • This paper explores collaboration between artists and scientists through participant observation. Four artist/scientist pairs worked together to create ten-minute performances for a festival held in January, 2009 in Ithaca, New York. Each pair created their piece over the course of three two-hour meetings, the first of which employed a cultural probe to open a discourse between the artist and scientist and to facilitate collaboration. My role as a participant observer allowed me to closely observe collaborative processes in which pairs engaged in boundary work and made use of boundary objects. The boundary work helped the pairs establish authority and autonomy within their respective subfields, while at the same time provoking discussions that led to the creation of their projects. The pairs used three types of boundary objects: existing, created, and appropriated. These established a common language by which they could create and present their performances to an audience.
Framing Health Disparity News: Effects on Journalists’ Perceptions of Newsworthiness • Amanda Hinnant, U. of Missouri; HyunJee Oh, University of Missouri; Charlene Caburnay, Washington University in St. Louis; Matthew Kreuter, Washington University in St. Louis • This study examines health journalist feedback on framing effects of disparity health news. It extends the research of Nicholson et al. (2008), which found that African Americans reacted more positively to colon cancer stories that emphasize the progress African Americans have made against the disease. More specifically, African Americans had positive affective responses and indicated a greater desire for CRC screening when exposed to the progress frame. Participants exposed to the disparity frame reported opposite reactions (negative emotional response/less desire for CRC screening). This study builds on these findings by exposing how health journalists react to disparity and progress frames in cancer communication stories. This double-blind randomized experiment (N = 179) gauged reactions to the progress and disparity frames on news value measures. This study also included a condition in which half of the participants were exposed to the findings from the Nicholson research. Results show that journalists respond more positively to the disparity-frame story than to the progress-frame story in variables across all news value categories. The journalists who saw the Nicholson findings still evaluated the disparity-frame story more positively, but it was across fewer variables. After seeing the Nicholson findings, they did respond more positively to the progress-frame story. Informing journalists of the benefits of using a progress frame could influence story framing on health disparity news.
The Cognitive Mediation Model: Factors Influencing Public Knowledge of the H1N1 Pandemic and Precautionary Behavior • Xianghong Peh, Nanyang Technological University; Veronica Soh, Nanyang Technological University; Shirley Ho, Nanyang Technological University • This study uses the Cognitive Mediation Model as the theoretical framework to examine the influence of motivations, communication, and elaborative processing on public knowledge of the H1N1 pandemic and behavioural intentions in Singapore. Generally, we found that knowledge levels among the public were high. However, the public were willing to engage in basic protective measures rather than H1N1-specific behaviours. Notably, motivations significantly influenced behavioural intentions, as partially mediated by communication, elaboration, and knowledge.
Swine Flu Shift: Effects of risk and concern on health information sources during a pandemic • Avery Holton, University of Texas at Austin • A multi-regional survey of United States respondents suggests that the public seeks health information largely from news and health websites, health professionals and newspapers. As a pandemic – the H1N1 virus – elevated risk levels, health concern increased, but health information sources remained relatively unchanged. Those at high risk during the H1N1 outbreak may ultimately have sought health information from two traditional health information sources – the newspaper and health professionals.
Testing The Effects of The Social Norms Approach to Correct Misperceptions Related to Sexual Consent • Zijing Li, Washington State University; Stacey Hust, Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University • Norm corrective messages may encourage individuals already practicing healthy behaviors to adopt unhealthy behaviors in an attempt to conform to the norm. Yet, exposure to both descriptive and injunctive norms may alleviate this boomerang effect. An experiment with 394 college students tests the effectiveness of social norms related to sexual consent seeking. Results indicate use of both types of norms has a stronger effect on perceptions and intentions than the use of only descriptive norms.
It’s Easy Being Green: The Effects of Argument and Imagery on Consumer Responses to Green Product Packaging • Virginia E. Board, Virginia Tech; Lindsay M. Crighton, Virginia Tech; Phillip K. Kostka, Virginia Tech; Justine A. Spack, Virginia Tech; James D. Ivory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Although green product advertising is increasingly widespread, the quality and format of green product claims vary substantially. To assess how some elements of green advertising claims influence consumer responses, this study examines the effects of argument strength and imagery used in green product packaging on consumers’ perceptions of product packaging credibility, perceptions of product greenness, attitudes toward product, behavioral purchasing intent, and general attitudes toward green product advertising. A 3 (argument: strong, weak, or none) X 2 (image: present or absent) factorial experiment was conducting using different versions of green product packaging on a bottle of laundry detergent. Results indicated that while argument strength influenced perceptions of credibility, product greenness, and attitude, a weak argument was as effective as a strong argument in eliciting purchasing intent. Similarly, the presence of a green seal image influenced purchasing intent regardless of argument strength. These results suggest that though consumers are able to evaluate the quality of green arguments, the mere presence of any green argument or image serves as a cue that affects purchasing intent similarly regardless of format, modality, or quality.
Individual Differences, Awareness/Knowledge, and Acceptance Attitude of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) as a Health Risk on Willingness to Self-discipline Internet Use • Qiaolei JIANG, The Chinese University of Hong Kong • This exploratory study proposed that Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a health risk and examined the effects of individual differences (such as flexibility/rigidity, stigma tolerance, and face-loss concern), awareness/knowledge, and acceptance of IAD as a new mental illness among urban Chinese Internet users on willingness to self-discipline the maladaptive Internet habit. Data were gathered from an online survey of 497 Internet users in urban China in 2009. Based on Young’s (1998) classic definition of Internet addiction and Tao’s (2010) Chinese diagnostic criteria, results showed that 12.3% can be classified into the high-risk group. The high risk group tended to be significantly more rigid in personality, more concerned with face-loss, and more aware of IAD as a mental illness. As expected, being flexible, tolerant to stigma, concerned about face-loss, and in the low risk group were found to be more willing to self-discipline their problematic Internet use. Being female, non-student, and with low income tended to be more determined to seek self-help to recover from IAD on their own as addiction clinic in China is still scarce and expensive. Practical health policy implications were discussed.
A Content Analysis of Health- and Nutrition-Related Claims in Food Advertisements in Popular Women’s and Men’s Magazines • Xiaoli Nan, University of Maryland, College Park; Rowena Briones, University of Maryland, College Park; Hongmei Shen, San Diego State University; Hua Jiang, Towson University; Ai Zhang, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey • This article reports a content analysis of health- and nutrition-related (HNR) claims used in food advertisements in popular women’s and men’s magazines published in the year 2008. A total of 734 food ads were analyzed. Our research shows that the nutrition content claim is the most predominantly used claim and that the health claim is the least used. The use of HNR claims also differ for different types of food and magazines.
Stressful university life: The relationship among academic self-efficacy, academic performance, goal characteristics, and psychological well-being of university students in Singapore Hannah Wen Ya Tay, Nanyang Technological University; Zhu Ian Juanita Toh, Nanyang Technological University; Suu Yue Lim, Nanyang Technological University; Elena Owyong, Nanyang Technological University; Younbo Jung, Nanyang Technological University • This study examines how academic concerns influence the well-being of university students by investigating the relationship among academic self-efficacy, academic performance, goal characteristics (i.e., ideal GPA, goal importance, goal motivation, and GPA difference), and psychological well-being (i.e., depression and satisfaction with life). Based on the two-stage stratified sampling method, a self-administered paper-and-pencil survey was conducted with 603 final-year undergraduate students from the two public autonomous universities in Singapore. The results showed that academic self-efficacy negatively predicted students’ levels of depressive symptoms and positively predicted their satisfaction with life. The relationship between students’ academic self-efficacy and their level of depressive symptoms as well as satisfaction with life was found to be mediated by goal importance and goal motivation. In addition, academic self-efficacy was a significant predictor of academic performance, ideal GPA, goal importance, goal motivation, and GPA difference. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.
The Priming Effects of Entertainment-Education on Viewers’ Responses to PSAs: An Application to Binge Drinking among College Students • Kyongseok Kim, The University of Georgia; MINA LEE, University of Georgia • The purpose of this study was to examine the priming effects of an Entertainment-Education message on viewers’ responses to a PSA. An online experiment was conducted with 232 participants using a 2 (E-E: present vs. absence) _ 2 (issue involvement: high vs. low) between-subjects design. The results provided evidence of the priming effects of a health message (related to binge drinking) embedded in a primetime drama. The effects were also moderated by issue involvement.
Perceived or Real Knowledge? Comparing operationalizations of science knowledge. • Peter Ladwig, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kajsa Dalrymple, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Elizabeth Corley, Arizona State University • This study compares two frequently used operationalizations of science knowledge: factual knowledge of an emerging technology, measured using true-false options, is the same as self-reported nanotechnology knowledge (perceived familiarity). We argue that these measurements – which have been used interchangeably in past research – are conceptually distinct and should be treated as such. Using hierarchal linear OLS regression, we provide evidence that these two measurements do in fact capture different concepts and should be treated differently in the future.
Defining obesity: Second-level Agenda Setting in Black Newspapers and General Audience Newspapers • Hyunmin Lee, University of Missouri-Columbia; Maria Len-Rios, U. of Missouri This paper examines how obesity is defined in Black newspapers and general audience newspapers applying the framework of second-level agenda setting theory. A content analysis (N = 391) of a national sample of Black newspapers and general audience newspapers showed that while both Black newspapers and general audience newspapers generally ascribed individual reasons for causing, Black newspapers were more likely than general audience newspapers to suggest both individual and societal solution methods to treat obesity. Additionally, regardless of the audience of the newspaper, negative stories of obesity appeared on front pages. Implications for theory and health communication research are discussed.
Influencing Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation Intentions in Singapore based on the Protection Motivation Theory • Shallyn Leow, Nanyang Technological University; May O. Lwin, Nanyang Technological University; Kaiyan Lin, National Chengchi University; Chrong Meng Ng, Nanyang Technological University; Kenneth Mu Mao Chia, Nanyang Technological University Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is crucial for survival during sudden cardiac arrest (Hopstock, 2007). Statistics have shown that the typically low survival rate of cardiac arrest victims can increase manifold when the public is CPR-trained. To date, only 20% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Singapore receive bystander CPR (Lateef & Anantharaman, 2001). This research aims to help develop CPR promotion campaigns by examining the CPR-learning intentions amongst youths in Singapore, utilizing the Protection Motivation Theory.
Comprehensive resource to enhance consumer health informatics evaluation research: A description of a pilot project • Glenn Leshner, University of Missouri; Rob Logan, National Library of Medicine; Glen Cameron, University of Missouri – Columbia • The purpose of this paper is to report on a pilot project that will prepare a master resource of outcome variables and suggested measures to guide comprehensive consumer health informatics evaluation. This pilot project is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Office of Communications and Public Liaison as well as NLM’s consumer health informatics working group. The resource is envisioned as an online tool kit NLM can use and also will be available as a professional development tool to other consumer health informatics researchers. The resource will be comprised of at least 25 outcome variables, with a specific suggested measure for each variable, and a citation of the source. The variables presented here, which represent a small sample, are health literacy, health orientation, spiritual health locus of control, and self-efficacy.
Analyzing Health Organizations’ Use of Twitter for Promoting Health Literacy • Hyojung Park, University of Missouri, School of Journalism; Shelly Rodgers, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Jon Stemmle, Health Communication Research Center, Missouri School of Journalism This study explored health-related organizations’ use of Twitter in delivering health literacy messages while promoting their images and brands. Content analysis of 571 tweets from health-related organizations revealed that the organizations’ tweets were often quoted or republished by other Twitter users. There were some differences among the various types of organizations in regard to addressing health literacy topics in tweets, although in general, most tweets focused on the use of short sentences and simple language.
A comparative analysis of Chinese and American newspapers’ coverage of the milk scandal in China • Lulu Rodriguez, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University; Jiajun Yao, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University Anger and panic spread across China in the wake of country’s latest food scare—melamine-tainted milk that sickened nearly 300,000 children and caused the death of at least six infants in 2008. This study analyzed the content of news, feature and editorial reports from the Economic Daily (China) and the Wall Street Journal (U.S.) to determine the risk information items present in the coverage. A discourse analysis was also conducted. The two papers differed in five information areas: the government’s plans of action; the definition, description and explanation of the cause of disorders and deaths; the extent of assurances made; the number of people harmed; and assignment of blame. The Daily referred to the issue as an event or incident while the Journal called it a disaster and a tragedy. Stories from the Daily contained fewer details about what led to the crisis and emphasized the revitalization of the dairy industry while the Journal expressed concern about the enforcement of food safety laws. The Chinese paper consistently showed a positive attitude toward its government while the Journal took a strong negative position toward Chinese authorities.
What Science Communication Scholars Think about Training Scientists to Communicate • Andrea Tanner, University of South Carolina; John Besley, University of South Carolina • This study assesses the volume and scope of the training taking place in the science communication field and explores the views about the skills of several different types of science communicators. Nearly 46% of scholars publishing in academic journals across the sub-fields of science, health, environment and risk communication report conducting formal training for bench scientists and engineers, science regulators, medical personnel or journalists. For most groups, the main focus of training was in the area of basic communication theories and models. There is near unanimity in the field that the science community would benefit from additional science communication training and that deficit model thinking remains prevalent.
Effect of ecological, proximal, and psychometric risk perception on reported self-protective behavior for West Nile virus. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University; Raquel Harper, Colorado State University; Emily Zielinski-Gutiérrez, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Cindy Kronauge, Weld County Department of Health and Environment.; Sara Evans, Weld County Department of Health and Environment • Little is known about the manner in which individuals perceive risk for West Nile virus and how risk perception may affect protective behavior against exposure. To investigate these questions data were collected using a mail survey. The questionnaire included measures of cognitive-affective risk perception, combined with ecological and proximity risk perception constructs, and the Health Belief Model. Results show that all three of the newer risk perception models provide some power to explain protective behavior.
The effect of proximity to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on subsequent optimistic bias and the perception of hurricane risk. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University; Michelle Lueck, Colorado State University; Holly Marlatt, Colorado State University; Lori Peek, Colorado State University • In this study we evaluated how individuals living in Gulf Coast counties perceived hurricane risk in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The analysis examined optimistic bias and perception of hurricane risk in January 2006, evaluating these concepts as functions of distance from the area of the Katrina-Rita impact. Data were collected by mail survey (n = 824). Results show hurricane risk perception has a number of significant associations, while optimistic bias does not.
News media and the social amplification of risk for seasonal influenza. • Craig Trumbo, Colorado State University • The effect news media may have had on patients visiting physicians for influenza was examined for 2002-2008. The basis for this investigation rests on theories of media effects applied to the Social Amplification of Risk. It was hypothesized that controlling for the rate of influenza, a positive relationship exists in which increases and decreases of news media attention to influenza precede increases and decreases in the percentage of patients visiting physicians for flu symptoms. The percentage of visits and the percentage of positive flu tests are taken from the Centers for Disease Control’s flu report. Media attention was located through the Lexis/Nexis database as words per week in stories having flu in the headline in 32 newspapers. Time series analysis shows that controlling for autoregressive and seasonal effects, and the actual rate of disease present, news attention in the previous week accounts for a statistically significant portion of the increase and decrease in the number of individuals who go to their physician reporting influenza-like symptoms. Reverse causality was examined and it was shown that controlling for autoregressive and seasonal effects, patient visits did not predict news coverage, while the actual rate of the flu in the previous three weeks did.
News Framing of Autism: Media Advocacy, Health Policy & the Combating Autism Act • Brooke Weberling, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Considering agenda setting, framing, and the concepts of media advocacy and mobilizing information, this study presents a content analysis of U.S. news coverage of autism from 1996 to 2006, the year the Combating Autism Act was passed. Findings revealed that science frames decreased over time, while policy frames increased. Medical and government sources were most common in news coverage. Solutions were more frequent than causes; however, mobilizing information was limited. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Exploring the role of online discussion in improving obesity-related health literacy: A content analysis of health literacy domains and eWOM of The Biggest Loser League • Ye Wang, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Erin Willis, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Shelly Rodgers, University of Missouri School of Journalism • The present study evaluated to what extent and at what levels online discussions about weight-management can improve health literacy, and whether and to what extent health-related eWOM in online discussions can counter-balance misleading information in food advertisements. This study found evidence of health literacy domains in discussions of weight-management, and identified self-efficacy as being influential in users’ performance of weight-loss behaviors. Evidence of eWOM provides a context for health communication to educate and promote healthy living.
Tracking Explanations In Health News. More Attention Is Not Always Needed For Understanding. • Ronald Yaros, University of Maryland • This study investigates the relationship of how readers view health news on a web page and whether certain viewing patterns are associated with different levels of comprehension. Does selective attention always mean comprehension and do explanatory graphics in health news aid comprehension? Participants (N = 20) in an eye-tracking experiment are exposed to two text structures of four health stories with or without explanatory graphics. Recorded eye movements were then associated with robust measures of situational understanding. Based on theory of text comprehension, this study predicted that longer viewing time can indicate little or no explanation in the news more than it indicates interest. Results suggest that longer eye fixations -presumed to indicate more attention in eye-tracking studies – do not always mean a better understanding of complex news.
Willing but Unwilling: Attitudinal Barriers to Adoption of Home-Based Health-Information Technologies Among Older Adults • Rachel Young, University of Missouri, Columbia; Erin Willis, University of Missouri School of Journalism; Mugur Geana, University of Kansas; Glen Cameron, University of Missouri – Columbia • The health needs of aging baby boomers will stress the medical system and family caregivers. Proposals for improving health outcomes include technological solutions, but user attitudes toward these solutions are unknown. This study used in-depth interviews to explore barriers to adoption of a home-based system for communicating with physicians, searching for health information, and receiving tailored messages. A thematic analysis revealed technological discomfort, privacy concerns, and perceived distance from the user representation imagined by participants.
WHAT PARENTAL FACTOR(S) INFLUENCES CHILDREN’S OBESITY? -Investigating the Possible Relationships between Children’s Body Mass Index and • Hyunjae (Jay) Yu, School of Communication, Sogang University; Tae Hyun Baek, University of Georgia • In addition to genetics and nutrition, the notion exists that environmental influences may also indirectly govern childhood obesity. Because children’s eating habits and lifestyles are largely determined by parental upbringing, it is worthwhile to examine and discuss the specific weight-determining variables connected to parenting style and the nature of child rearing. This exploratory study tests for connecting relationships between children’s obesity level (measured by Body Mass Index) and the parents’ television viewing behavior/attitudes. Some of the viewing aspects examined in this study include the parents’ average amount time spent watching TV per day, their attitude toward advertisements targeting children, and their opinions about the parents’ role in regards to their children’s viewing behaviors. Additionally, the researcher examined the parents’ BMI to test for a connection between their weight and their children’s obesity level. Results showed that, in addition to BMI, the parents’ opinions regarding responsibilities for children’s TV viewing behaviors significantly influenced the obesity levels of their offspring.
Communicating a health epidemic: A risk assessment of the swine flu coverage in U.S. newspapers Nan Yu, North Dakota State University; Dennis Frohlich, North Dakota State University; Jared Fougner, North Dakota State University; Lezhao Ren, North Dakota State University • Media can contribute to the public assessment of a health risk and provide general knowledge of basic preventive methods (Allen, 2002; Dudo, Dhlstrom, & Brossard, 2007). The current study content analyzed the coverage of the 2009 swine flu in major U.S. newspapers to uncover: the general pattern of swine flu coverage in 2009, the presentation of health risk, and the depictions of self-efficacy-related information. The results of this study revealed that the risk of swine flu was frequently depicted with qualitative risk and thematic frames. About one third of the stories compared swine flu to a previous known health risk. Swine flu was less frequently portrayed as a deadly disease or a global risk compared to the previous coverage of avian flu. Social disorders more often appeared as consequences beyond health than economic losses and political disturbances. The depictions of the symptoms of swine flu and general preventive efforts appeared less frequently than the mentions of the H1N1 vaccination. However, newspapers expressed uncertainty about the effectiveness of the vaccination.
The Psychophysiology of Viewing HIV/AIDS PSAs: The Effects of Fear Appeals and Sexual Appeals Jueman Zhang, New York Institute of Technology; Makana Chock, Syracuse University • This study investigated the effects of fear and sexual appeals on psychophysiological responses to online HIV/AIDS PSAs. An experiment with a 2 (low vs. high fear appeals) by 2 (low vs. high sexual appeals) within-subject design was conducted (N = 77). Physiological and self-reported data consistently demonstrated that high sexual appeals triggered more attention and greater arousal than low sexual appeals. Self-reported data revealed that high fear appeals elicited more attention and greater arousal than low fear appeals, but physiological data didn’t support it. High fear appeals and high sexual appeals were perceived as more effective but they were not recalled better.
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