Assignment

submitted to

Dr. N Sanjeeva raja

professor

Dept of Communication

Bangalore University

Bangalore 560056

submitted by

Gayathri Y

Research Scholar

Dept of Communication

Bangalore University

Bangalore 560056
Literature review

1. Effectiveness of social media for communicating health messages in Ghana: This

article explores the effectiveness of social media in communicating health messages in
Ghana. It examines both the perceptions of health professionals and the general
public, offering insights into the potential and challenges of using social media for
health promotion in a developing country context.
2. "The potential of social media in health promotion beyond creating awareness:
an integrative review": This review goes beyond assessing awareness and examines
how social media can be leveraged to achieve broader health promotion goals,
including behaviour change and policy advocacy. It offers a comprehensive overview
of existing research and identifies key areas for future investigation.
3. A Model of Social Media Effects in Public Health Communication Campaigns:
Systematic Review: This systematic review proposes an updated model of how social
media impacts public health communication campaigns. It analyses a large number of
studies to understand how different factors, such as message framing and engagement,
contribute to campaign effectiveness.
4. The impact of mass-media campaigns on physical activity: a review of reviews
through a policy lens: This review of reviews synthesizes evidence on the
effectiveness of mass media campaigns in promoting physical activity. It takes a
policy perspective, considering how these findings can inform public health
interventions and policy-making to encourage healthier lifestyles.
5. Entertainment-education and social change: An analysis of parasocial
interaction, social learning, collective efficacy, and prosocial behaviour: This
article delves into the concept of entertainment-education, where media messages are
embedded in entertaining content to promote social change. It examines how
parasocial interaction, social learning, collective efficacy, and prosocial behaviour can
be influenced by such messages.
6. Social media use in the United States: Implications for health communication.
Chou, W.-Y. S., Hunt, Y. M., Beckjord, E. B., Moser, R. P., & Hesse, B. W. (2009).
This study examines how Americans use social media and discusses the implications
for public health communication strategies.
 7. A new dimension of health care: Systematic review of the uses, benefits, and
limitations of social media for health communication. Moorhead, S. A., Hazlett, D.
E., Harrison, L., Carroll, J. K., Irwin, A., & Hoving, C. (2013). A comprehensive
review exploring the various ways social media is used in health communication,
highlighting its potential benefits and limitations.
8. A decade (2010-2019) of social media research in health and medicine: A scoping
review. Sharma, M., Yadav, K., & Yadav, N. (2020). This scoping review maps the
research landscape on social media in health and medicine over a decade, offering a
snapshot of the field's progress.
9. Enhancing promotional strategies within social marketing programs: Use of Web
2.0 social media. Thackeray, R., Neiger, B. L., Hanson, C. L., & McKenzie, J. F.
(2008). This article explores how Web 2.0 social media tools can be integrated into
social marketing programs to enhance their effectiveness in health promotion.
10. World Health Organization. (2016). Social media for health: A WHO perspective.
This report from the World Health Organization provides an overview of the use of
social media for health communication, highlighting its potential and challenges, and
offering recommendations for its use.

Independent Variables:

1. Message Framing: Gain vs. Loss framing (emphasizing benefits of adopting

behaviour vs. risks of not adopting)
2. Channel of Communication: Social media, television, radio, print, or a combination
3. Emotional Appeal: Fear-based, humour-based, inspirational, or guilt-inducing
4. Source Credibility: Celebrity endorsement, expert opinion, or peer testimonial
5. Frequency and Intensity: Number of exposures to the message and the duration of
the campaign

Dependent Variables:

1. Knowledge Change: Increase in awareness or understanding of the health issue

2. Attitude Change: Shift in opinions or beliefs about the health behaviour
3. Behaviour Change: Adoption of the recommended health practice
4. Social Norm Change: Perceived change in what is considered normal or acceptable
behaviour within a community
 5. Policy Change: Advocacy efforts or shifts in legislation related to the health issue.

Objectives of the study

1 . To assess the effectiveness of various mass communication strategies employed in

health campaigns
2.To examine the extent to which health campaign messages resonate with target
audiences.
3.To study the factors influencing individuals engagement with health campaign
communications.
4.To explore the behavioural changes and attitudes resulting from exposure to health
campaign communication
5.To evaluate the role of social media and other communication channels in
disseminating health campaign messages

6.To provide recommendations for enhancing the overall effectiveness of

communication strategies in health campaigns for maximum social change impact.
Theories

1. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT): SCT posits that behaviour change is influenced by
personal factors (e.g., knowledge, self-efficacy), environmental factors (e.g., social
norms, observational learning), and behavioural factors (e.g., past experiences,
reinforcement). In the context of media health campaigns, SCT can help explain how
media messages can influence individuals' beliefs, attitudes, and ultimately their
health behaviours.
o Application: we could examine how media campaigns utilize concepts from
SCT, such as modelling desired behaviours or promoting self-efficacy, to
encourage behaviour change. we could also explore how social norms are
portrayed in media messages and how these portrayals impact individuals'
perceptions of what is considered "normal" or desirable behaviour.
2. Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM): EPPM focuses on how fear appeals can
be used effectively in health communication. It suggests that when people are exposed
to a fear appeal, they evaluate the threat (severity and susceptibility) and their ability
to cope with it (response efficacy and self-efficacy). If the threat is perceived as high
and coping mechanisms are perceived as effective, people are likely to engage in
 danger control (taking action to reduce the threat). If the threat is high but coping
mechanisms are perceived as ineffective, people may engage in fear control
(defensive reactions to avoid the message).
o Application: we could analyse how health campaigns use fear appeals and
assess whether they successfully elicit danger control responses or if they
trigger fear control. we could also investigate how different message framing
strategies (e.g., gain-framed vs. loss-framed) interact with fear appeals to
influence behaviour change.
Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1 (H1): Positive emotional appeals (e.g., humor, inspiration) in health campaign
messages will lead to greater attitude change towards the targeted health behavior than
negative emotional appeals (e.g., fear, guilt).
• Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in attitude change towards
the targeted health behavior between positive and negative emotional appeals in health
campaign messages.
Hypothesis 2 (H2): Health campaigns that utilize multiple channels of communication (e.g.,
social media, television, radio) will result in greater behavior change than campaigns that rely
on a single channel.
• Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in behavior change between
health campaigns using multiple communication channels and those using a single
channel.
Hypothesis 3 (H3): Message framing that emphasizes the gains of adopting a healthy
behavior (gain-framed) will be more effective in promoting behavior change than message
framing that emphasizes the losses of not adopting the behavior (loss-framed).
• Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in behavior change between
gain-framed and loss-framed messages in health campaigns.
Hypothesis 4 (H4): Health campaigns featuring endorsements from credible sources (e.g.,
medical experts) will lead to greater knowledge change about the health issue compared to
campaigns with less credible sources (e.g., celebrities).
• Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in knowledge change about
the health issue between campaigns featuring credible sources and those with less
credible sources.
Hypothesis 5 (H5): Exposure to health campaign messages will be positively associated with
social norm change, such that greater exposure will lead to greater perceived change in what
is considered normal or acceptable behavior within the community.
• Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association between exposure to health
campaign messages and social norm change.

Terminologies and Operational Definitions

1. Media Messages:

• Definition: The content delivered through various communication channels (e.g.,

television, radio, print, social media) as part of a health campaign.
• Operational Definition: The specific text, images, videos, or audio used to convey
information about a health issue, promote specific behaviours, or advocate for policy
change. This could include slogans, advertisements, public service announcements, or
social media posts.
2. Health Campaign:

• Definition: A coordinated set of communication activities designed to inform,

persuade, or motivate behaviour change in a defined audience to address a specific
health issue.
• Operational Definition: A specific initiative with defined goals, target audience,
timeline, and evaluation plan. It may include various media messages and strategies
disseminated through multiple channels.
3. Efficacy:

• Definition: The ability of a media message or health campaign to produce a desired or

intended result.
• Operational Definition: Measured through changes in knowledge, attitudes,
behaviours, social norms, or policy related to the health issue targeted by the
campaign. This could be assessed using surveys, interviews, focus groups, or
observation.

4. Social Change:

• Definition: Alterations in the beliefs, attitudes, norms, behaviours, or social structures

within a community or society.
 • Operational Definition: The long-term impact of health campaigns on societal levels,
such as shifts in public opinion, changes in legislation or policies, or reductions in
health disparities.
5. Message Framing:

• Definition: The way information is presented to emphasize certain aspects and

influence audience perception.
• Operational Definition: Specific techniques used to frame health messages, such as
gain-framing (emphasizing the benefits of adopting a behaviour) or loss-framing
(emphasizing the risks of not adopting a behaviour).
6. Channel of Communication:

• Definition: The medium through which a message is transmitted to the audience.

• Operational Definition: The specific platform used to deliver health campaign

messages, such as television, radio, print media, social media (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram), or websites.
7. Emotional Appeal:

• Definition: The use of emotions (e.g., fear, humour, hope) to engage the audience and
influence their attitudes or behaviours.
• Operational Definition: The specific emotions evoked by health campaign messages,
as measured through self-report scales or physiological responses.
8. Source Credibility:

• Definition: The perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and goodwill of the message

source.
• Operational Definition: The characteristics of the individual or organization
delivering the message, such as their qualifications, reputation, or affiliation, as
perceived by the audience.
9. Knowledge Change:

• Definition: An increase in awareness or understanding of a health issue or behavior.

• Operational Definition: Measured through pre- and post-campaign assessments of
participants' knowledge using surveys or quizzes.
10. Attitude Change:

• Definition: A shift in opinions or beliefs about a health issue or behaviour.

 • Operational Definition: Measured through pre- and post-campaign assessments of
participants' attitudes using Likert scales or other self-report measures.
11. Behaviour Change:

• Definition: The adoption of a new health behaviour or the modification of an existing

one.
• Operational Definition: Measured through self-report questionnaires, observations,
or objective measures (e.g., tracking physical activity levels, measuring smoking
cessation).
12. Social Norm Change:

• Definition: An alteration in the perceived prevalence or acceptability of a behavior

within a community.
• Operational Definition: Measured through surveys or interviews that assess
participants' perceptions of what is considered normal or desirable behavior regarding
the health issue in question.
13. Policy Change:

• Definition: Changes in laws, regulations, or guidelines related to a health issue.

• Operational Definition: The enactment of new legislation, amendment of existing

policies, or changes in organizational practices as a result of advocacy efforts or
public pressure related to a health campaign.