The Healthy People initiative outlines a comprehensive set of goals aimed at improving the nation's health and reducing health disparities. Health communication has been included as an explicit goal ...since the launch of Healthy People 2010. The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was established as a means of exploring how the changing information environment was affecting the public's health, and is therefore an ideal tool for monitoring key health communication objectives included in the Healthy People agenda. In this article, the authors apply an integrative data analysis strategy to more than 10 years of HINTS data to demonstrate how public health surveillance can be used to evaluate broad national health goals, like those set forth under the Healthy People initiative. The authors analyzed just one item from the HINTS survey regarding Internet access in order to illustrate what public health surveillance tools, like HINTS, can reveal about important indicators that are of interest to all those who work to improve the health of the public. Results show that reported Internet penetration has exceeded the Healthy People 2020 target of 75.4%. HINTS data also allowed modeling of the effects of various sociodemographic factors, which revealed persistent differences on the basis of age and education, with the oldest age groups and those with less than a college education falling short of the Healthy People 2020 target as of 2013. Furthermore, although differences by race/ethnicity were observed, the analyses suggest that race in itself accounts for very little of the variance in Internet access.
News media coverage of health topics can frame and heighten the salience of health-related issues, thus influencing the public's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Through their routine coverage of ...scientific developments, news media are a critical intermediary in translating research for the public, patients, practitioners, and policymakers. Until now, little was known about how health and medical science reporters and editors initiate, prioritize, and develop news stories related to health and medicine. We surveyed 468 reporters and editors representing 463 local and national broadcast and print media outlets to characterize individual characteristics and occupational practices leading to the development of health and medical science news. Our survey revealed that 70% of respondents had bachelor's degrees; 8% were life sciences majors in college. Minorities are underrepresented in health journalism; 97% of respondents were non-Hispanic and 93% were White. Overall, initial ideas for stories come from a "news source" followed by press conferences or press releases. Regarding newsworthiness criteria, the "potential for public impact" and "new information or development" are the major criteria cited, followed by "ability to provide a human angle" and "ability to provide a local angle." Significant differences were seen between responses from reporters vs. editors and print vs. broadcast outlets.
Introduction: Appalachian communities experience elevated rates of cancer incidence and mortality relative to other regions in the U.S. Specifically, melanoma mortality rates are higher in Appalachia ...compared to the national average, despite comparable incidence rates. Purpose: To examine differences in self-reported history of skin cancer and prevalence of two UV exposure behaviors between Appalachian and non-Appalachian adults in a nationally representative sample. Methods: Data are from four cross-sectional cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey (2011–2014) (N=14,451). We examined sunscreen use and tanning bed use, and self-reported history of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Descriptive and weighted multivariable analyses were conducted to examine sunscreen and tanning bed use, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Approximately 8% of the study sample resided in Appalachia (n=1,015). Self-reported melanoma (0.6%) and non-melanoma (3.2%) skin cancer histories were low among Appalachians and did not differ statistically from non-Appalachians (p>0.05). Only 21.2% of Appalachians reported using sunscreen often or always when going outside for more than one hour on a warm, sunny day compared to 27.4% of non-Appalachians (p<0.05). In separate multivariable logistic regressions, Appalachians reported lower odds of sunscreen use compared to non-Appalachian (OR=0.76, p=0.04), but there were no regional differences in tanning bed use (OR=1.48, p=0.23) when controlling for sociodemographics and general health status. Implications: Appalachians had comparable histories of self-reported melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer but were less likely to report sunscreen use than non-Appalachians. Enhanced communication efforts to promote sunscreen use and other UV protection behaviors in Appalachia may be valuable.
News coverage of health topics influences knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors at the individual level, and agendas and actions at the institutional and policy levels. Because disparities in health ...often are the result of social inequalities that require community-level or policy-level solutions, news stories employing a health disparities news frame may contribute to agenda-setting among opinion leaders and policymakers and lead to policy efforts aimed at reducing health disparities. This study objective was to conduct an exploratory analysis to qualitatively describe barriers that health journalists face when covering health disparities in local media. Between June and October 2007, 18 journalists from television, print, and radio in Boston, Lawrence, and Worcester, Massachusetts, were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone, and the crystallization/immersion method was used to conduct a qualitative analysis of interview transcripts. Our results revealed that journalists said that they consider several angles when developing health stories, including public impact and personal behavior change. Challenges to employing a health disparities frame included inability to translate how research findings may impact different socioeconomic groups, and difficulty understanding how findings may translate across racial/ethnic groups. Several journalists reported that disparities-focused stories are "less palatable" for some audiences. This exploratory study offers insights into the challenges that local news media face in using health disparities news frames in their routine coverage of health news. Public health practitioners may use these findings to inform communication efforts with local media in order to advance the public dialogue about health disparities.
Background Nearly 80 million people in the U.S. are currently infected with at least one of two strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is associated with 70% of cervical cancers. Greater ...cervical cancer mortality has been observed among women of lower SES and those living in rural, versus urban, areas. African American and Hispanic women are significantly more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white women. Purpose To assess current population awareness of and knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine, as well as the contribution of sociodemographic characteristics to disparities in HPV awareness and knowledge. Methods Cross-sectional data were obtained from the National Cancer Institute’s 2013 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS; N=3,185). Multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify gaps in awareness and knowledge by sex, education, income, race/ethnicity, geographic area, and other important sociodemographic characteristics. Analyses were conducted in 2014. Results Sixty-eight percent of Americans had heard of HPV and the HPV vaccine. Consistent with the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis, awareness and knowledge were patterned by sex, age, education, and other important sociodemographic factors. Those in rural areas were less likely than those in urban areas to know that HPV causes cervical cancer. Less than 5% of Americans were aware that HPV often clears on its own without treatment. Conclusions Although awareness and knowledge of HPV is increasing, there are opportunities to target communication with populations for whom knowledge gaps currently exist, in order to promote dialogue about the vaccine among patients and their providers.
ObjectiveTo assess the relative, independent contribution of reported tobacco-specific media exposure (pro-tobacco advertising, anti-tobacco advertising, and news coverage of tobacco issues) to US ...adults' support for policy efforts that aim to regulate the portrayal of smoking in movies.MethodsUsing the American Legacy Foundation's 2003 American Smoking and Health Survey (ASHES-2), multivariable logistic regression was used to model the predicted probability that US adults support movie-specific tobacco control policies, by reported exposure to tobacco-specific media messages, controlling for smoking status, education, income, race/ethnicity, age, sex, knowledge of the negative effects of tobacco and state.ResultsAcross most outcome variables under study, findings reveal that reported exposure to tobacco-specific media messages is associated with adult attitudes towards movie-specific policy measures. Most exposure to tobacco information in the media (with the exception of pro-tobacco advertising on the internet) contributes independently to the prediction of adult support for movie-specific policies. The direction of effect follows an expected pattern, with reported exposure to anti-tobacco advertising and news coverage of tobacco predicting supportive attitudes towards movie policies, and reported exposure to pro-tobacco advertising lessening support for some movie policies, though the medium of delivery makes a difference.ConclusionMedia campaigns to prevent tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke have had value beyond the intended impact of single-issue campaigns; exposure to anti-tobacco campaigns and public dialogue about the dangers of tobacco seem also to be associated with shaping perceptions of the social world related to norms about tobacco, and ideas about regulating the portrayal of smoking in movies.
Patient-Centered Communication Moser, Richard P; Trivedi, Neha; Murray, Ashley ...
PloS one,
12/2022, Volume:
17, Issue:
12
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Patient-centered communication (PCC) is one important component of patient-centered care and seen as a goal for most clinical encounters. Previous research has shown that higher PCC is related to an ...increase in healthy behaviors and less morbidity, among other outcomes. Given its importance, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) commissioned a monograph in 2007 to synthesize the existing literature on PCC and determine measurement objectives and strategies for measuring this construct, with a particular focus on cancer survivors. Based on this effort, a seven-item PCC scale was included on the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a probability-based survey of the US adult population. This study used HINTS data collected in 2018 to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PCC scale for the general US adult population including measures of reliability and validity. Through an exploratory factor analysis, the seven-item PCC scale was shown to be unidimensional with good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .92). A confirmatory factor analysis verified the factor structure. Other construct validity metrics included known groups and discriminant validity. Known group comparisons were conducted for several sociodemographic factors and health self-efficacy confirming a priori assumptions. Discriminant validity tests with measures of social support and anxiety/depression showed relatively weak associations. The psychometric properties of this scale demonstrate its scientific utility for both surveillance research and other smaller-scale studies. Given its association with many health outcomes, it can also be used to better understand the dynamics in a clinical encounter.
Rutten et al assess the awareness of and referral to national resources among primary care physicians. They analyze data from the National Survey of Primary Care Physicians' Recommendations and ...Practice for Breast, Cervical, Colorectal, and Lung Cancer Screening. The survey was fielded in 2006 and 2007 as a mailed questionnaire. The sample was drawn from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile by using a systematic sample design that was stratified by medical specialty type. Eligible respondents were non-federal office-based family physicians, general practitioners, general internists, and obstetricians and gynecologists aged 75 years or younger. Thus, low levels of awareness of and referral to national cancer information resources were observed across physician and practice characteristics Efforts to raise awareness and use of these resources could improve informational support to health-care providers, cancer patients, and survivors.
Background
Since 2000, the field of health communication has grown tremendously, owing largely to research funding by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This study provides an overview of cancer ...communication science funding trends in the past decade.
Methods
We conducted an analysis of communication-related grant applications submitted to the NCI in fiscal years 2000–2012. Using 103 keywords related to health communication, data were extracted from the Portfolio Management Application, a grants management application used at NCI. Automated coding described key grant characteristics such as mechanism and review study section. Manual coding determined funding across the cancer control continuum, by cancer site, and by cancer risk factors.
Results
A total of 3307 unique grant applications met initial inclusion criteria; 1013 of these were funded over the 12-year period. The top funded grant mechanisms were the R01, R21, and R03. Applications were largely investigator-initiated proposals as opposed to responses to particular funding opportunity announcements. Among funded communication research, the top risk factor being studied was tobacco, and across the cancer control continuum, cancer prevention was the most common stage investigated.
Conclusions
NCI support of cancer communication research has been an important source of growth for health communication science over the last 12 years. The analysis’ findings describe NCI’s priorities in cancer communication science and suggest areas for future investments.
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