Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be one of the most stressful, pivotal moments in an individual’s life. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Fred Hutch social psychologist and researcher Megan J. Shen, PhD, shares tips for coping with a cancer diagnosis and how patients and their caregivers can navigate appointments with their oncologists.
Tag: Health Communication
Study Finds Lack of Diversity in Stock Photography Sites, Challenging Health Outreach Efforts
A new study finds that the majority of images related to health topics on stock photography sites are of light-skinned people within a fairly narrow age range, making it more difficult – and expensive – for organizations to create health education materials aimed at reaching other groups.
Age may rival politics in COVID-19 vaccine debate
New research from the University of Georgia suggests age and risk perception may have as much of an effect on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance as party affiliation.
Conflicting Health Information Compromises Patients’ Attention and Health Decisions
The 24-hour news cycle and social media bombardment often resulting in conflicting messages about health issues might be making it harder than ever for people to make critical decisions, according to a Rutgers-led study.
FDA authorization of COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11: IU experts available to comment
Following a daylong meeting Oct. 26, the FDA authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children ages 5 to 11. This was the first in a series of meetings to make this vaccine available to younger children. Next, the Advisory…
Interactive media reduce negative reactions to health messages, boost compliance
People often react negatively to health messages because they tend to dictate what we can and cannot do, but new research reveals that interactive media can soften negative reactions — or reactance — to health messages that are distributed online.
Health ads in users’ customized online sites may evoke negative reactions
Tweaking the look of a social media profile may subtly alter a person’s reaction to the health messages that appear on that site, according to researchers. They add that these reactions could influence whether the users heed the advice of those messages.
Study Finds COVID Risk Communication Targeting Younger Adults May Have Biggest Impact
A study of adults in the United States suggests that the biggest boost in COVID-19 risk reduction would stem from communication efforts aimed at raising awareness of COVID-19 risks among U.S. adults under the age of 40.
Concern about loved ones might motivate people to mask up and get vaccine
In a recent survey, people who said social distancing and COVID-safety guidelines violated their personal freedoms responded more positively to these ideas when they felt a loved one might be at risk of severe illness for COVID-19.
Over half of adults over 50 say they’ll get vaccinated against COVID-19, but many will want to wait, poll finds
A new poll of adults ages 50 to 80 suggests that achieving the widespread vaccination against COVID-19 needed to protect this high-risk group and end the pandemic will be an uphill climb, and require clear, transparent communication from health providers and others.
Healthy skepticism: People may be wary of health articles on crowdsourced sites
People may be skeptical about medical and health articles they encounter on crowdsourced websites, such as Wikipedia and Wikihealth, according to researchers. While that may be good news for health officials who are worried that these sites allow non-experts to easily add and edit health information, the researchers added that having medical professionals curate content on those sites may not reduce the skepticism.
Communications experts available to comment on corporate, government messaging on coronavirus
Clear and prompt communication can save lives during global pandemics like the COVID-19 coronavirus. IU experts are available for comment on how governments, employers and other large organizations can effectively communicate to their constituents and mitigate spread of the virus. IU…
Communicating about coronavirus can be difficult
Communicating effectively during an outbreak can be tricky for government agencies charged with protecting the public, according to Glen Nowak, former director of media relations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and professor of advertising and public relations at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.