Evaluation Techniques in Health Communication: Issues and Perspectives

Abstract

Health communication is gaining recognition across the world because of its emphasis on combining theory and practice in understanding communication processes and changing human behaviour. This approach is pertinent when many of the threats to global public health (through diseases and environmental calamities) are rooted in human behaviour. For a communication campaign to be successful, a number of components are considered essential. Message development is an integral component of the campaign, and there should be widespread exposure to campaign messages. Campaign appeals that are socially distant from audiences are generally ineffective, and messages promoting prevention are less likely to be successful than those with immediate positive consequences. Measurement of carefully defined outcomes is important, and research designs should include adequate resources and methods to achieve useful campaign evaluation. This paper is an attempt to identify and discuss the issues that are important conducting of formative, process, and summative evaluations of health communication campaigns.