ABSTRACT
In light of the preceding growth, it would seem reasonable to suggest that health communication-driven curricula, inside and outside the communication discipline, would refl ect a similar progression. There have been several nationwide studies of a variety of communication courses, but as of this date, there has been no systematic and comparative investigation into health communication-related curricula in public health, nursing, or medicine. The nationwide studies include intercultural communication (Beebe & Biggers 1986); speech communication in secondary schools (Book & Pappas, 1981); graduate courses in argumentation theory (Benoit & Follert, 1986); quantitative and qualitative communication research methods (Frey, Anderson, & Friedman, 1998; Frey & Botan, 1988); oral communication in K-12 grades (Hall, Morreale, & Gaudino, 1999); and health communication (Query, Wright, Bylund, & Mattson, 2007). And although there has been an increase in the number of health communication courses off ered within some communication departments, comprehensive health communication programs with more than two or three courses remain relatively sparse (see Query et al., 2007)—73% of 77 respondents indicated their department off ered a health communication course in 2007 (Query et al., 2007), compared to 20% of 148 participants who indicated a similar course was off ered in 1999 (Waldrope, 1999). An examination of key communication pedagogical references further supports the dearth of information concerning the development and growth of health communication curricula within the fi eld (see Daly, Friedrich, & Vangelisti, 1990; Friedrich, 1981; Friedrich & Boileau, 1990; Harter, Dutta, & Cole, 2009; Johnson, 1992; Lederman, 1992).
