Health Risk Communication - Using Data to Inform a Preventive Health Communication Strategy

Valley Fever, or Coccidioidomycosis, a fungal respiratory disease, is prevalent with increasing incidence in the Southwestern United States, especially in the central region of California. Public health agencies in the region do not have a consistent strategy for communication and health promotion targeting vulnerable communities about this climate-sensitive disease. We used the behavior adaptation communication model to design and conduct semi-structured interviews with representatives of public health agencies in five California counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, San Luis Obispo, and Tulare County. While none of the agencies currently include climate change information into their Valley Fever risk messaging, the agencies discuss future communication methods similar to other health risk factors such as poor air quality days and influenza virus season. For political reasons, some public health agencies deliberately avoided the use of climate change language in communicating health risk factors to farmers who are particularly vulnerable to soil and dust-borne fungal spores. The effectiveness of health communication activities of the public health agencies has not been measured in reducing the prevalence of Valley Fever in impacted communities. Given the transboundary nature of climate influence on Valley Fever risk, a concerted and consistent health communication strategy is expected to be more effective than current practices.

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KOMUNIKASI SELAMA PANDEMI COVID-19: BELAJAR DARI KEGAGALAN KOMUNIKASI RISIKO KESEHATAN YANG EFEKTIF

Jisip : Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik ◽

10.33366/jisip.v9i2.2225 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 111-122

Author(s):

Aizun Najih

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Communication Systems ◽

Strategic Communication ◽

Communication Strategy ◽

Sensitive Information ◽

The Public ◽

Government Communication ◽

The World ◽

The Government

Abstract. Governments around the world can learn many important lessons from examining instances of ineffective communication with the public during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) panic. Ineffective government communication has resulted in much confusion and misunderstanding of the public, as well as severe errors in responding to growing health threats, causing catastrophic health and social repercussions for society and prolonging the pandemic. This article uses systems theory as a framework for analyzing government communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing recommendations for the government to establish an effective health risk communication strategy. The communication strategy encourages the delivery of relevant, accurate and sensitive information to key public groups, minimizing communication disruptions to guide desired coordinated action. The communication strategy can be applied locally, nationally and internationally.Keywords: health risk communication, government communication, pandemic, strategic communication, systems theory.Abstrak. Pemerintah di seluruh dunia dapat mempelajari banyak pelajaran penting dari memeriksa contoh komunikasi yang tidak efektif dengan publik selama kepanikan penyakit virus corona global (COVID-19). Komunikasi pemerintah yang tidak efektif telah mengakibatkan banyak kebingungan dan kesalahpahaman publik, serta kesalahan serius dalam menanggapi ancaman kesehatan yang terus berkembang, dan menyebabkan bencana kesehatan dan dampak sosial bagi masyarakat dan memperpanjang pandemi. Artikel ini menggunakan teori sistem sebagai kerangka untuk menganalisis komunikasi pemerintah selama pandemi COVID-19, memberikan rekomendasi kepada pemerintah untuk menetapkan strategi komunikasi risiko kesehatan yang efektif. Strategi komunikasi mendorong penyampaian informasi yang relevan, akurat, dan sensitif kepada kelompok-kelompok publik utama, meminimalkan gangguan komunikasi untuk memandu tindakan terkoordinasi yang diinginkan. Strategi komunikasi dapat diterapkan secara lokal, nasional, dan internasional.Kata kunci: komunikasi risiko kesehatan, komunikasi pemerintah, pandemi, komunikasi strategis, teori sistem.

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Government Communication Strategies during Coronavirus Pandemic: United Arab Emirates Lessons

Journal of Health Management ◽

10.1177/0972063420983091 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 097206342098309

Author(s):

Ahmed Farouk Radwan ◽

Sheren Ali Mousa

Keyword(s):

Health Communication ◽

Risk Communication ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Communication Strategies ◽

The State ◽

International Standards ◽

Individual Responsibility ◽

Communication Model ◽

Digital Platforms ◽

Government Communication

Government communication introduced important lessons during the worldwide experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to apply known efficacious principles of risk and health communication strategies. The purpose of the study is to depict and explore the United Arab Emirates government communication scenario in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic as well as look at the types of strategies, information and messages delivered via digital mediums to handle challenges that are raised based on the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication model. The study includes a qualitative analysis of two government bodies’ digital platforms: ‘The Ministry of Health and Prevention’ (mohap) and ‘Crisis and Disasters Management Authority’. Results indicated that the UAE government used different communication aims and strategies to face the pandemic according to the risk management scenario. In the quarantine phase, communication focused on giving people information about the disease, raising awareness about the disease, motivating health and behaviour change, informing people about government decisions and procedures. In the coexistence phase communication focused on emphasising the necessity of adherence the health measures, providing information on re-work in institutions and commercial centres, involving people in the health and social initiatives, confronting non-compliance with health precautions. Government communication also focused on facing rumours and false information. UAE government communication used digital platforms and social media to address more than 200 nationalities living in the state for ensuring that they adhere to the precautionary measures and coordinate with the authorities. Government communication was committed to a set of values including equality between citizens of the state and residents, societal and individual responsibility, recognising the frontline medical staff and acknowledging their sacrifices. UAE implemented an integrated, coherent and effective scenario to deal with the crisis. It developed risk communication strategies in health communication to manage the COVID-19 crisis by following international standards and also took into account its own political, economic, social and cultural features. The UAE government used many strategies to inform and convince people including clarification of measures strategy, reassurance strategy, ambiguity reduction strategy, behaviour efficacy strategy, correcting misinformation and rumours, advising strategy.

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Psychological Factors Affecting Risk Perception of COVID-19: Evidence from Peru and China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126513 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6513

Author(s):

Fredy S. Monge-Rodríguez ◽

He Jiang ◽

Liwei Zhang ◽

Andy Alvarado-Yepez ◽

Anahí Cardona-Rivero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Online Survey ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Negative Effect ◽

The Government ◽

Using Data ◽

Health Field

COVID-19 has spread around the world, causing a global pandemic, and to date is impacting in various ways in both developed and developing countries. We know that the spread of this virus is through people’s behavior despite the perceived risks. Risk perception plays an important role in decision-making to prevent infection. Using data from the online survey of participants in Peru and China (N = 1594), data were collected between 8 July 31 and August 2020. We found that levels of risk perception are relatively moderate, but higher in Peru compared to China. In both countries, anxiety, threat perception, self-confidence, and sex were found to be significant predictors of risk perception; however, trust in the information received by government and experts was significant only in Peru, whereas self-confidence had a significant negative effect only for China. Risk communication should be implemented through information programs aimed at reducing anxiety and improving self-confidence, taking into consideration gender differences. In addition, the information generated by the government should be based on empirical sources. Finally, the implications for effective risk communication and its impacts on the health field are discussed.

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Preventive health risk appraisal for older people and impact on GPs' patient management: a prospective study

Family Practice ◽

10.1093/fampra/cmm063 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 604-609 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

K. Eichler ◽

C. Scrabal ◽

J. Steurer ◽

E. Mann

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Older People ◽

Prospective Study ◽

Patient Management ◽

Preventive Health ◽

Risk Appraisal ◽

Health Risk Appraisal ◽

A Prospective Study

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Raising risk preparedness by flood risk communication

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-15-1577-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (7) ◽

pp. 1577-1595 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

E. Maidl ◽

M. Buchecker

Keyword(s):

Risk Communication ◽

Flood Risk ◽

Information Needs ◽

Flood Hazard ◽

Flood Damage ◽

Communication Strategy ◽

Special Focus ◽

Risk Awareness ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Risk Preparedness

Abstract. During the last decade, most European countries have produced hazard maps of natural hazards, but little is known about how to communicate these maps most efficiently to the public. In October 2011, Zurich's local authorities informed owners of buildings located in the urban flood hazard zone about potential flood damage, the probability of flood events and protection measures. The campaign was based on the assumptions that informing citizens increases their risk awareness and that citizens who are aware of risks are more likely to undertake actions to protect themselves and their property. This study is intended as a contribution to better understand the factors that influence flood risk preparedness, with a special focus on the effects of such a one-way risk communication strategy. We conducted a standardized mail survey of 1500 property owners in the hazard zones in Zurich (response rate main survey: 34 %). The questionnaire included items to measure respondents' risk awareness, risk preparedness, flood experience, information-seeking behaviour, knowledge about flood risk, evaluation of the information material, risk acceptance, attachment to the property and trust in local authorities. Data about the type of property and socio-demographic variables were also collected. Multivariate data analysis revealed that the average level of risk awareness and preparedness was low, but the results confirmed that the campaign had a statistically significant effect on the level of preparedness. The main influencing factors on the intention to prepare for a flood were the extent to which respondents evaluated the information material positively as well as their risk awareness. Respondents who had never taken any previous interest in floods were less likely to read the material. For future campaigns, we therefore recommend repeated communication that is tailored to the information needs of the target population.

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The Use of 'No Evidence' Statements in Public Health

Informal Logic ◽

10.22329/il.v35i1.4119 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 32 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Louise Cummings

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Risk ◽

Health Communication ◽

Human Health ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Public Health Communication ◽

The Public

Public health communication makes extensive use of a linguistic formulation that will be called the “no evidence” statement. This is a written or spoken statement of the form “There is no evidence that P” where P stands for a proposition that typically describes a human health risk. Danger lurks in these expressions for the hearer or reader who is not logically perspicacious, as arguments that use them are only warranted under certain conditions. The extent to which members of the public are able to determine what those conditions are will be considered by examining data obtained from 879 subjects. The role of “no evidence” statements as cognitive heuristics in public health reasoning is considered.

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