ABSTRACT
In some ways, the field of “health communication” may appear to address a relatively straightforward set of goals and concerns. For example, health provider communication may be studied to improve patient compliance with health directives, such as completing prescriptions or reducing cholesterol intake. Public health communication interventions may be designed to bring about some desired health improvement goal in a target audience, and the results measured in terms of their effectiveness in achieving change. Certainly, these health initiatives are ubiquitous: African Americans in the rural South are encouraged to take five or more servings of fruits and vegetables to reduce their cancer risks, people are encouraged not to smoke, workplaces cajole employees to exercise so as to lower absenteeism and reduce insurance rates. In these efforts, communication involves methods of persuasion (such as motivation, fear, encouragement) that can be measured in terms of effectiveness.
