Introduction to Health Communication Overview

Course Overview

• Effective health communication is vital for health professionals, educators, and community workers in promoting health and preventing disease.
• The course provides a comprehensive introduction to health communication, focusing on navigating health information and behavior change.
• Students will explore social and cultural influences on health behaviors and communication's role in health interventions, including advocacy, education, and counseling.
• Various communication channels such as mass media, social media, and interpersonal communication will be analyzed for their efficacy in health promotion.
• Theoretical foundations of health behavior change will be examined, informing the design and implementation of health communication interventions.
• Practical experience includes developing health messages, designing communication campaigns, and evaluating health communication programs.

Course Objectives

• Introduce the fundamentals of health communication, defining its significance in public health.
• Explore key theories and models that underlie health communication strategies for promoting behavior change.
• Analyze various communication channels, including mass media and social media, assessing their effectiveness for different audiences.
• Equip students with skills to design, implement, and evaluate health communication interventions addressing public health challenges.

Core Knowledge and Skills

• Recognize social and cultural norms' influence on health behaviors, considering the interplay of individual, community, environmental, and policy factors.
• Define communication and clarify its roles within health interventions, such as advocacy and education.
• Describe the communication process and differentiate types, including verbal, non-verbal, interpersonal, and intrapersonal communication.
• Illustrate the use of multiple communication channels in health communication interventions.
• Discuss steps to behavior change and methods for facilitating normative change in communities.
• Differentiate health education and promotion from Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC).

Course Structure

• The course is progressively structured to build knowledge and skills in health communication, emphasizing theory and practical application.

This course offers an essential overview of health communication, emphasizing its importance in promoting health and preventing disease. Students will gain valuable knowledge and skills necessary to effectively communicate within healthcare settings. Explore the roles of health professionals, educators, and community workers in this vital field.