Advances in health care have made extraordinary changes in the life expectancy and level of vitality of the average American. Still, according to the U. S. Surgeon General, a full one-half of all premature deaths are due to lifestyle and, therefore, preventable. This important collection presents a comparative synthesis of what works and what does not in mass media health campaigns. High priority is given to coverage of substance abuse prevention campaigns, but programs on AIDS, smoking, teenage pregnancy, heart disease, Alzheimer′s Disease, and vehicle seat belt use are also reviewed. Designing Health Communication Campaigns deepens our understanding of how to design, implement, and evaluate mass media campaigns by highlighting the contributions of media experts who add a human element to the various campaign experiences they describe. This work is indispensable in a fast-evolving field where it serves as both a reference and a concordance for interpreting many other analytic sources. Campaign designers, researchers, communications scholars and graduate students as well as policymakers and program funders will find the book to be valuable in helping make critical decisions about effective mass communication campaigns. "This volume is valuable because it emphasizes actual experiences, and is thus recommended as an adjunct to classic texts in the field. Graduate; faculty; professional." --Choice

This important collection presents a comparative synthesis of what works and what does not in mass media health campaigns. High priority is given to coverage of substance abuse prevention campaigns, but programmes on AIDS, smoking, teenage pregnancy, heart disease, Alzheimer's Disease and vehicle seat belt use are also reviewed. Designing Health Communication Campaigns deepens our understanding of how to design, implement and evaluate mass media campaigns by highlighting the contributions of media experts who add a human element to the various campaign experiences they describe.

"This text illustrates the importance of effective communication in disease prevention and health promotion by building theory-based messages while being responsive to diverse audience needs. This book clearly explains core health communication principles and processes for designing effective messages for health communication interventions and campaigns while integrating perspectives from multiple areas including psychology, public health, and social marketing. Key features: &• theory-based message design links theory and practice by explaining how psychosocial theories of behaviour change can be used to design effective health communication messages &• audience-centered message design provides clarity on how diverse audiences' cultures, beliefs, barriers, and needs can be effectively addressed &• suggested further readings guide students through additional theory and research &• end-of-chapter discussion questions encourage critical thinking about the implication of each chapter on future theory, research, and practice relevant to health communication message design and evaluation "--Pubisher.

This important collection presents a comparative synthesis of what works and what does not in mass media health campaigns. High priority is given to coverage of substance abuse prevention campaigns, but programmes on AIDS, smoking, teenage pregnancy, heart disease, Alzheimer's Disease and vehicle seat belt use are also reviewed. Designing Health Communication Campaigns deepens our understanding of how to design, implement and evaluate mass media campaigns by highlighting the contributions of media experts who add a human element to the various campaign experiences they describe.

The first section covers theory-driven approaches and includes content and linguistic considerations, the role of fear in content, and using positive affect. Part II discusses audience-centered strategies and looks at the "America responds to AIDS" campaign and the cancer communication's "5 a day for better health" program. This comprehensive volume concludes with recent developments and policy and administrative practices for health message design

This book is a must have for anyone designing or developing a campaign in health promotion or public health. It is the only textbook which takes the reader right through the planning, implementation and evaluation of a health communication campaign.

We are what we eat. That old expression seems particularly poignant every time we have our blood drawn for a routine physical to check our cholesterol levels. And, it's not just what we eat that affects our health. Whole ranges of behaviors ultimately make a difference in how we feel and how we maintain our health. Lifestyle choices have enormous impact on our health and well being. But, how do we communicate the language of good health so that it is uniformly received-and accepted-by people from different cultures and backgrounds? Take, for example, the case of a 66 year old Latina. She has been told by her doctor that she should have a mammogram. But her sense of fatalism tells her that it is better not to know if anything is wrong. To know that something is wrong will cause her distress and this may well lead to even more health problems. Before she leaves her doctor's office she has decided not to have a mammogram-that is until her doctor points out that having a mammogram is a way to take care of herself so that she can continue to take care of her family. In this way, the decision to have a mammogram feels like a positive step. Public health communicators and health professionals face dilemmas like this every day. Speaking of Health looks at the challenges of delivering important messages to different audiences. Using case studies in the areas of diabetes, mammography, and mass communication campaigns, it examines the ways in which messages must be adapted to the unique informational needs of their audiences if they are to have any real impact. Speaking of Health looks at basic theories of communication and behavior change and focuses on where they apply and where they don't. By suggesting creative strategies and guidelines for speaking to diverse audiences now and in the future, the Institute of Medicine seeks to take health communication into the 21st century. In an age where we are inundated by multiple messages every day, this book will be a critical tool for all who are interested in communicating with diverse communities about health issues.