Public Communication Campaigns in the Destigmatization of Leprosy: A Comparative Analysis of Diffusion and Participatory Approaches. A Case Study in Gwalior, India

Abstract

This was an experimental study designed to determine the relative effectiveness of diffusion and participatory strategies ( in health campaigns ) and the effect of caste on the dependent variables of knowledge , perception of risk , and behavioral involve ment that were conceptualized as contributing to leprosy destigmatization in Madhya Pradesh state , India . The multivariate analysis of covariance ( MANCOVA ) procedure found significant difference between the communication treatments on the dependent variables . The discriminate analysis procedure was used to locate the source of the difference . This procedure identified two significant discriminant functions: cognitive - affective and behavior - affective dimensions . The participatory treatment showed higher knowledge and lower perception of risk on the cognitive - affective dimension , and higher behavioral involvement on the behavior - affective dimension , but the diffusion treatment showed only lower self perception of risk on the behavior - affective dimension . The study concluded that participatory strategies promoting dialogue and interaction and incorporating people's knowledge and action component result in increased knowledge , lower perception of risk , higher behavioral involvement , and , hence , destigmatization .