Mass Communication Campaigns Research Articles

Information Pour Le Développement Durable De La Santé – Cas De L’usage Des Réseaux Sociaux Dans La Lutte Contre Le Cancer De La Prostate En Côte d’Ivoire

Prostate cancer is a pathology that causes casualties among the male population in Côte d'Ivoire. This pandemic kills silently but can be cured at the early stage of detection. All the actors in the fight against this pathology have mainly focused on the classical channels of communication and nonmedia. In the era of the information society, there is, however, a culture of digital technology in Côte d'Ivoire where the use of social networks is now part of the habits. While mass communication campaigns hinder efforts to raise awareness for early detection, more discreet and more customizable social networks have the advantage of reaching men who feel demeaned and humiliated when it comes to the «shameful, humiliating and dishonorable» disease of prostate cancer. The objectives of this research are to assess the impact of prostate cancer awareness campaigns on male population through traditional channels of communication and to analyze the determinants of the evolution of prostate cancer, despite all actions taken to propose solutions to curb the evolution of the disease. With the quantitative and qualitative approaches, the hypothesis that shows that there is a significant relationship between the evolution of prostate cancer among the male population and the late detection of this disease was confirmed. The communication strategies proposed by the various actors will then be effective, provided that social networks are associated with conventional media and non-media.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Mass-Mediated Health Campaigns Through Meta-Analysis

A meta-analytic review was undertaken to examine the effects of mass communication campaigns on changes in behavior, knowledge, and self-efficacy in the general public. A review of the academic literature was undertaken and identified 1,638 articles from 1966 through 2012. Using strict inclusion criteria, we included 63 studies for coding and analyses. Results from these efforts indicated that campaigns produced positive effects in behavior change (r = .05, k = 61) and knowledge (r = .10, k = 26) but failed to produce significant increases in self-efficacy (r = .02, k = 14). Several moderators (e.g., health topic, the theory underlying the campaign) were examined in relation to campaign principles that are prescribed to increase campaign effects. The major findings are reviewed, and the implications for future campaign design are discussed.

Drug addiction stigma in relation to methadone maintenance treatment by different service delivery models in Vietnam.

BackgroundThe rapid expansion of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) services has significantly improved health status and quality of life of patients. However, little is known about its impacts on addiction-related stigma and associated factors.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, and Nam Dinh province among 1016 methadone maintenance patients; 26.6 % at provincial AIDS centers (PAC) and 73.4 % at district health centers (DHC), respectively. Drug addiction history and related stigma, health status, MMT-related covariates, and sociodemographic characteristics were interviewed.ResultsMore than one-sixth of the sample reported experiencing felt or enacted stigma, including Blame or Judgement (17.2 %), Shame (19.9 %), or Others’ fear of HIV transmission (17.1 %). These proportions were higher in PACs than in DHCs, which are integrated with other HIV or general health care services. Very few patients reported being discriminated at the workplace (2.5 %) or at health care services (1.7 %); however, 15.6 % of patients at PACs and 10.6 % of patients at DHCs reported discrimination in their communities. Drug users taking MMT for longer periods were less likely to report felt stigma. Other factors associated with stigma against MMT patients included the lack of comprehensive services, higher education, presence of pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, self-reported HIV positive, and number of previous drug rehabilitation episodes.ConclusionThe study shows a high level of stigma against MMT patients and emphasizes the necessity to integrate MMT with comprehensive health and support services. Mass communication campaigns to reduce stigma against people with drug addiction and HIV/AIDS, as well as vocational trainings and jobs referrals for MMT patients, are needed to maximize the benefits of MMT programs in Vietnam.

Evaluating the Persuasiveness of an HIV Mass Communication Campaign Using Gain-Framed Messages and Aimed at Creating a Superordinate Identity

ABSTRACTThis research assesses the coverage and impact of “United Against AIDS,” the 2012–2013 Italian National HIV/AIDS prevention campaign to promote safer sex behavior and voluntary HIV counseling and testing. The campaign used gain-framed messages and aimed at creating a superordinate identity. We conducted two studies. The first study employed a quasi-experimental design involving three groups of participants: general population (n = 858), men who have sex with men (MSM; n = 109), and migrants (n = 211). In the second study, we carried out a time-series design to analyze the archival data of the Italian National AIDS Help-Line. Exposure to the campaign was reported by 78.3%, 67.5%, and 57.8% of the general population, MSM, and migrant respondents, respectively. The probability of having unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners decreased significantly in the subsample of the general populations that was exposed to the campaign (compared to the nonexposed participants), but the same effect was not found among MSM and migrant participants. The probability of having unprotected sexual intercourse with someone of unknown HIV status decreased after the campaign in the exposed MSM subsample (compared to the nonexposed participants), but the same effect was not found among the general population and migrant participants. In addition, the probability of undertaking HIV testing increased significantly in the exposed participants belonging to the general population but not among MSM and migrant participants. Time-series analysis revealed that the number of calls at the Italian National AIDS Help-Line significantly increased during the campaign. This research provides evidence that the effect of the campaign was complex and varied across participants.

Communication for Development Interventions in Fragile States: a systematic review.

Communication for Development Interventions in Fragile States: a systematic review.

An educational programme on dengue fever prevention and control for females in Jeddah high schools

A mass communication campaign was conducted at 20 randomly selected female high schools and 2 school supervision centres in Jeddah to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices of students, teachers and supervisors about dengue fever. A total of 5977 pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were completed and the intervention was conducted using lectures and audiovisual aids. A marked improvement in all areas of knowledge, attitudes and practices was observed after the programme in all groups. Students obtained the highest improvement in mean knowledge scores after the programme compared to the other 2 groups. There is a need to expand such programmes to all Jeddah schools.

International perspectives on the physical inactivity crisis—Structural solutions over evidence generation?

Many programs to increase physical activity have been evaluated in developed countries, where ‘leisure time physical activity’ is the most frequent domain for interventions. In developing countries, and also with reference to global obesity prevention, different kinds of interventions targeting ‘total physical activity’ are needed. This requires efforts across agencies and sectors, and in the domains of work, active transport, reduced sitting time, as well as leisure time physical activity promotion. In considering possible solutions, this commentary examined the use of complex systems, where integrated efforts across sectors and agencies might, in combination, contribute to increasing total physical activity. The key sets of actions required globally to increase physical activity were, in our opinion, [i] efforts to disseminate individual-level behavior change programs to reach much larger populations rather than volunteers, [ii] social marketing and mass communication campaigns to change social norms in the community and among professionals and policymakers, [iii] efforts to influence the social and physical environment to make them more conducive to physical activity, and [iv] the development and implementation of national physical activity plans and strategies, with sufficient timelines and resources to achieve measurable change.

A 10-Year Systematic Review of HIV/AIDS Mass Communication Campaigns: Have We Made Progress?

The purpose of the current study was to conduct a 10-year systematic review of HIV/AIDS mass communication campaigns focused on sexual behavior, HIV testing, or both (1998–2007) and to compare the results with the last comprehensive review of such campaigns, conducted by Myhre and Flora (2000). A comprehensive search strategy yielded 38 HIV/AIDS campaign evaluation articles published in peer-reviewed journals, representing 34 distinct campaign efforts conducted in 23 countries. The articles were coded on a variety of campaign design and evaluation dimensions by two independent coders. Results indicated that compared with the previous systematic review (1986–1998 period), campaigns increasingly have employed the following strategies: (1) targeted defined audiences developed through audience segmentation procedures; (2) designed campaign themes around behavior change (rather than knowledge change); (3) used behavioral theories; (4) achieved high message exposure; (5) used stronger research designs for outcome evaluation; and (6) included measures of behavior (or behavioral intentions) in outcome assessments. In addition, an examination of 10 campaign efforts that used more rigorous quasi-experimental designs revealed that the majority (8 of 10) demonstrated effects on behavior change or behavioral intentions. Despite these positive developments, most HIV/AIDS campaigns continue to use weak (i.e., preexperimental) outcome evaluation designs. Implications of these results for improved design, implementation, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS campaign efforts are discussed.

The Social Diffusion of Influence Among Adolescents: Group Interaction in a Chat Room Environment About Antidrug Advertisements

One route to influence in mass communication campaigns to reduce risky behavior is through interpersonal discussion of the content of the campaign and other behaviors pertinent to those targeted by the campaign. The goal of this study was to test the effects of online group interaction among adolescents about antimarijuana advertisements on relevant attitudes and behaviors. A between-subjects post-only experimental design was used to test two crossed factors, online chat and strength of arguments in antidrug ads. A sample of 535 students was randomly assigned to one of four conditions: chat and strong-argument ads, chat and weak-argument ads, no chat and strong-argument ads, and no chat and weak-argument ads. The group interactions about antidrug ads lead to negative effects such that those who chatted reported more promarijuana attitudes and subjective normative beliefs than those who just viewed the ads. No support was found for the hypothesis that strong-argument ads would result in more antidrug beliefs relative to weak-argument ads in either the chat or the no-chat conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that viewing antidrug ads and discussing them with peers may result in deleterious effects in adolescents.

Boomerang Effects in Response to Public Health Interventions: Some Unintended Consequences in the Alcoholic Beverage Market

Some warnings and other public health interventions have been found to produce effects opposite to those intended. Researchers employing a variety of methods have observed these boomerang effects in connection with interventions in a number of different contexts. One possible explanation for such boomerang effects lies in the theory of psychological reactance, roughly defined as the state of being aroused in opposition to perceived threats to personal choice. In particular, some consumer reactions described in research on alcoholic beverage warnings, alcohol education efforts, and the minimum drinking age can be concisely explained in terms of psychological reactance. An obvious implication is that boomerang effects should be taken into account as one of the potential costs of launching a mass communication campaign or requiring a warning. In some cases (such as warnings about the health effects of alcohol abuse) there may be so little to be gained in terms of improved consumer knowledge that the potential cost of oppositional attitudes or behavior should receive substantial attention in the evaluation of proposed and current interventions.

A model for understanding and affecting cancer genetics information seeking

Health-related topics are relevant to a diverse array of people, which makes health information seeking a rich area in which to study how people look for information and to create interventions to aid in their searches. Cancer genetics is an important health context because information acquisition can positively impact an individual's morbidity and mortality while also affecting an individual's family network. However, this new field of research has created a complex information environment that is constantly evolving. Traditional methods of providing content through mass communication campaigns cannot keep pace. What is needed is a strategy that does not rely on perishable content, but instead helps people gain lifelong skills to find and assess cancer genetic information on their own. This article reviews the tenets of cancer information seeking—highlighting the growing public interest in genetics—and discusses how the burden of seeking health information has shifted to the patient. The authors introduce GENIS 2 (Genetic Information-Seeking Skills), which is an intervention framework for helping people build cancer genetic information-seeking skills that will be useful throughout their lives. GENIS 2 is based on the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking (CMIS), which explores people's information-seeking actions by looking at the role played by demographics, experience, salience, and beliefs, as well as the information fields in which people exist. The CMIS is outlined and its stages are used to elucidate what kinds of cancer genetic information people are looking for in different situational contexts. The CMIS is also used as the framework for creating intervention strategies that information professionals can use to help coach people toward being more self-efficacious information seekers.

Consistency in condom use in the context of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe.

Against the backdrop of a high prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus infection in Zimbabwe, this paper analyses data from the 1997 Zimbabwe Sexual Behaviour and Condom Use Survey to throw light on the degree to which sexually active adults consistently use condoms in high-risk sexual situations. The multivariate results indicate that at the time of the survey, consistent condom use in non-marital relationships is significantly higher for males than females, higher among those who had access to information about condoms from multiple sources than among those with limited access, and higher among those who have positive attitudes to condoms than among those with negative attitudes. Even though consistent condom use with non-marital partners is higher for those who know a source where condoms can be obtained, this effect is due to the fact that these respondents have more positive attitudes towards condoms. Likewise, the higher levels of consistent condom use exhibited by those who are aware of the efficacy of condoms are due to the fact that men have higher awareness of this, and men use condoms more consistently than women. In sum, the results suggest that the effects of the respondents' sex and their knowledge of the prophylactic importance of condoms and where condoms might be obtained are a function of other socioeconomic advantages they have. It is, therefore, concluded that programmes that use mass media information, education and communication campaigns to reduce shyness, embarrassment and stigma about condom use can help increase consistent use of condoms in non-marital relationships in Zimbabwe.

The impact of mass communication campaigns in the health field.

This article analyzes a series of health education projects that used the mass media to change behavior. First, the article describes how persuasion theories are used to maximize impact in mass communication campaigns. Second, this paper discusses theories of social psychology used in such campaigns. One such theory, cognitive dissonance, explains changes at the level of attitudes, beliefs and opinion. Another theory, social learning, defines strategies of behavior changes. A third theory, concerning diffusion of innovations, helps understand the network of interpersonal relationships essential for the adoption of any innovation. McGuire's inoculation theory suggests strategies to aid resistance to harmful environmental influences (e.g. smoking, excessive drinking, etc.). Third, this work reviews public health campaigns that have used one or more of these theories of social psychology. The first project, dealing with smoking behavior cessation and prevention, mainly used strategies of interpersonal communication for inoculating and modeling useful behavior in order to resist social pressures favorable to smoking. The second project, designed to prevent alcoholism, used the mass media primarily. The objective of this campaign was to obtain changes in knowledge, attitude and behavior in the public through modeling desirable behaviors over public service announcements. The third campaign, a heart disease prevention program, used a combination of mass media and interpersonal communication to achieve changes in lifestyle of the population. Finally, this article describes limitations in using mass media in behavior change health programs.

Communicating Population and Family Planning

All but 8 percent of the developing worlds population now lives in countries which support activities designed explicitly or implicitly to reduce high rates of fertility. This Bulletin describes the indispensable role of planned communication in the rapid expansion of these activities from the emphasis on making contraceptives accessible to those ready to receive them typical of early family programs to promotion of a full range of beyond family planning measures aimed at creating a climate in which small families are viewed as desirable by people everywhere. Current approaches to planned population and family communication as illustrated by numerous country examples range from the use of field workers volunteers midwives and the like who deliver their messages on a person-to-person basis to full-scale mass communication campaigns which may employ both traditional folk media and modern advertising and social marketing techniques. Also discussed are population education as a somewhat different approach not necessarily aimed at reduced fertility and the recent rapid shift in the U.S. climate for population and family communication. (authors)