ABSTRACT
As it examines the theoretical bases of the strategies employed in public health communication programs, this chapter attempts to establish patterns and trends in theory application, to synthesize the lessons learned in public health communication programs, and to draw implications for combining theoretical insights and practical program development. Based on a review of selected public health communication programs conducted between 1970 and 1991, three broad theoretical categories of health communication approaches are discussed: (a) a continuing reliance on the direct effects of mass media, (b) attempts to recapture interpersonal processes, and (c) a synergistic intervention utilizing person-to-person, community support, and mass communication techniques. Issues are raised about the implications of these approaches for communication plans and strategies for the future.
