MEDIA AND HEALTH COMMUNICATION OF COVID-19 TOWARDS HEALTH BELIEF MODEL

Abstract

The moment when WHO declared the COVID-19 disease as a pandemic, public immediately switch on to access the media for every bit of information regarding the disease. This is because media is the mediator for health communication between the government and the people. By understanding the risk and danger, the media role in creating health awareness could potentially help to improve better health outcomes. They have the capability to influence one’s health behaviours and response to the disease. Health communication is a key factor for saving lives in this pandemic. Thus, this review paper aims to assess the media’s health communication strategies of promoting preventive behaviours to COVID-19, and the associated role of Health Belief Model (HBM) in it. The purpose is to examine (a) the relationship between media and health communication strategies towards COVID-19 preventive behaviours based on HBM and the (b) predictors that engage in preventive behaviours. Utilizing HBM components is crucial for this study as it has been widely applied to study human-related behaviours. This research will allow identifying which predictors of HBM could possibly improve and make the public obey with their preventive behaviours. Moreover, the application of HBM could be a good tool to envision the exact preventive practices among Malaysian population, hence implementing the strategies in their platform for a better health outcome.