Public's preferences for health science popularization short videos in China: a discrete choice experiment.

Background: Health science popularization short video disseminates health information to the public in an understandable way about health information. Objective: To investigate the preferences of Chinese residents for health science popularization short videos and provide suggestions for optimizing the production of short videos. Methods: An online survey of Chinese people was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, and a discrete choice experiment (DCE) was used to explore the public's preferences for health science popularization short videos. Results: A total of 618 respondents were included, of which 306 (45.51%) were male and 312 (50.49%) were female, 271 (43.85%) were aged 18-25, 239 (38.67%) were aged 26-60, and 108 (17.48%) were aged 60 and above. Whether the video is charged or not (46.891%) and the account subject (28.806%) were both considered important. The results of the DCE revealed that the participants considered video free of charge as the most significant attribute of health science popularization short videos (OR 3.433, 95% CI 3.243-3.633). Overall, participants preferred and were more willing to pay for health science popularization short videos with a hospital account subject (OR 1.192, 95% CI 1.116-1.274), with the form of graphic narration (OR 1.062, 95% CI 1.003-1.126), free of charge (OR 3.433, 95% CI 3.243-3.633), with the content that satisfies their needs (very much needed: OR 1.253, 95% CI 95% CI 1.197-1.311; generally needed: OR 1.078, 95% CI 1.029-1.129), with platform certification (OR 1.041, 95% CI 1.011-1.073), without commercial advertisements (OR 1.048, 95% CI 1.018-1.080), with simple-to-understand content (OR 1.071, 95% CI 1.040-1.104), and with video content that evokes fear or dread of illness in the viewer (OR 1.046, 95% CI 1.015-1.078). Conclusion: Participants favor free health popularization short videos, which are hospital accounts, with content that is illustrated, understandable, meets their needs, and can serve as a warning. In the future, the production of health popularization short videos should focus on improving the diversity and relevance of video content, making it as easy to understand to achieve good science popularization effects.

Panorama del gasto en comunicación social en salud: un caso del sector salud en México, 2015-2017.

Objetivo. Describir y analizar el gasto de la Secretaría de Salud asociado con iniciativas de comunicación social de las campañas de prevención de enfermedades transmitidas por vectores (Zika, chikunguña y dengue) y la evaluación de impacto o resultados. Material y métodos. La in-formación se obtuvo de 690 contratos de prestación de servicios de comunicación social (2015-2017), asociados con dos declaraciones de emergencia epidemiológica (EE- 2-2015 y EE-1-2016). Resultados. Se concluye una débil evaluación de impacto del gasto público. No existe evidencia suficiente que demuestre la correspondencia del gasto en comunicación social con la efectividad y cumplimiento de las campañas. Conclusiones. Los hallazgos permiten definir recomendaciones para vigilar, transparentar y hacer más eficiente el gasto público. Existe información pública sobre el gasto; sin embargo, es necesario garantizar mecanismos de transparencia, trazabilidad de contratos y evaluación de impacto de las campañas.

Message framing to inform cancer prevention pricing interventions in the UK and USA: a factorial experiment, 2019.

OBJECTIVES: To advance understanding of how message framing can be used to maximise public support across different pricing policies for alcohol, tobacco and sugary drinks/foods that prevent consumption of cancer-causing products. DESIGN: We designed a 3×4×3 randomised factorial experiment to test responses to messages with three pricing policies, four message frames and three products. SETTING: Online survey panel (Qualtrics) in 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Adults (N=1850) from the UK and USA. INTERVENTIONS: Participants randomly viewed one of 36 separate messages that varied by pricing policy (increasing taxes, getting rid of price discounts, getting rid of low-cost products), four frames and product (alcohol, tobacco, sugary drinks/foods). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed the relationship between the message characteristics and four dependent variables. Three were related to policy support: (1) increasing taxes on the product mentioned in the message, (2) getting rid of price discounts and special offers on the product mentioned in the message and (3) getting rid of low-cost versions of the product mentioned in the message. One was related to reactance, a psychological response to having one's freedom limited. RESULTS: We found no effect for pricing policy in the message. Frames regarding children and reducing cancer risk moderated some outcomes, showing promise for real-world use. We found differences in support by product and reactance with greatest support and least reactance for tobacco policies, less support and more reactance for alcohol policies, and the least support and most reactance for sugary drinks/foods policies. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer prevention efforts using policy interventions can be informed by the message framing literature. Our results offer insights for cancer prevention advocacy efforts across the UK and USA and highlight that tax versus non-tax approaches to increasing the cost of cancer-causing products result in similar responses from consumers.

Economic valuation of health benefits from using geologic data to communicate radon risk potential.

BACKGROUND: Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide and represents a major health concern within and outside the United States. Mitigating exposure to radon is especially critical in places with high rates of tobacco smoking (e.g., Kentucky, USA), as radon-induced lung cancer is markedly greater among people exposed to tobacco smoke. Despite homes being a common source of radon exposure, convincing homeowners to test and mitigate for radon remains a challenge. A new communication strategy to increase radon testing among Kentucky homeowners utilizes fine-scale geologic map data to create detailed radon risk potential maps. We assessed the health benefits of this strategy via avoided lung cancer and associated premature mortality and quantified the economic value of these benefits to indicate the potential utility of using geologic map data in radon communication strategies. METHODS: We estimated the change in radon testing among all 120 counties in Kentucky following a new communication strategy reliant on geologic maps. We approximated the resultant potential change in radon mitigation rates and subsequent expected lung cancer cases and mortality avoided among smokers and non-smokers exposed to 4 pCi/L of radon in the home. We then applied the value of a statistical life to derive the economic value of the expected avoided mortality. RESULTS: The new communication strategy is estimated to help 75 Kentucky residents in 1 year avoid exposure to harmful radon levels via increased testing and mitigation rates. This equated to the potential avoidance of approximately one premature death due to lung cancer, with a net present value of $3.4 to $8.5 million (2016 USD). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis illustrates the potential economic value of health benefits associated with geologic map data used as part of a communication strategy conveying radon risk to the public. Geologic map data are freely available in varying resolutions throughout the United States, suggesting Kentucky's radon communication strategy using geologic maps can be employed in other states to educate the public about radon. As this is only a single application, in a single state, the economic and health benefits of geologic map data in educating the public about radon are likely to exceed our estimates.

Teoría en la acción sobre la relación con el paciente. Una perspectiva diferente de representar y entender el comportamiento del médico de familia en la consulta / Theory of action on patient relationships. A different way of representing and understanding the behaviour of the family doctor in the clinic

OBJETIVO: Identificar la teoría en la acción según el concepto de Argyris y Schon de un grupo de médicos de familia y comprobar si esta «teoría» aparece como una representación válida de su comportamiento y congruente con otros estudios. DISEÑO: Descriptivo transversal. Emplazamiento: Atención Primaria. PARTICIPANTES: Diez médicos de familia con una experiencia mínima de 10 años de otros tantos centros de salud de una ciudad y su comarca. MÉTODO: Selección por muestreo intencional en función de la antigüedad, sexo, características del centro de referencia y estilo de práctica. Grabación y trascripción de audiograbaciones y observación de consultas. Formulación y agrupación inductiva de las proposiciones a partir de la identificación de las conductas en la consulta y su contexto siguiendo las propuestas de Argyris y Schon.comparación de las proposiciones de los participantes entre sí y con la literatura. Resultados y DISCUSIÓN: Las 84 proposiciones de los entrevistados se agrupan en 9 categorías temáticas que en orden del peso de su presencia son: confianza/interés, medicalización, dimensión subjetiva, dirección, negociación, distancia e información, calidad clínica, comunicación clínica. Las proposiciones de los dos primeros temas son básicamente coincidentes mientras que en el resto aparecen diferencias en la teoría en la acción de distintos médicos. Las proposiciones pueden ser integradas con los resultados de otros estudios. CONCLUSIÓN: Es factible formular la teoría en la acción de los MF que aparece como una representación global y coherente de su comportamiento en la consulta

OBJECTIVE: To identify the «theory in the action», according to the concept of Argyris and Schon, in a group of Family Doctors and to examine whether this theory seems to be a valid representation of their behaviour, as well as a comparison with results of other studies. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Primary Care. PARTICIPANTS: Ten Family Doctors with a minimum of 10 years experience in Health Centres of a city and its surrounding area. Method: Intentional sampling was used to select the participants, according to age, sex, characteristics of the Health Centre, and style of practice style. Data was collected from recordings and transcription of self-recordings, as well as from observations in the consulting room. Inductive formulation and grouping of the propositions was performed from the identification of the behaviours in the consulting room and as well as their context following the proposals of Argyris and Schon. A comparison was also made of the propositions of the participants of this study and with those in the literature. Results and DISCUSSION: The 84 propositions from the interviews were grouped into 9 topical categories, which in order of weight were: confidence / interest, prescribing medications, subjective dimension, direction, negotiation, distance, and information. The propositions of the first two topics are basically similar, while differences appear in the theory in action of various doctors. The propositions were comparable with the results of other studies. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to formulate the theory in action of Family Doctors that appears to be an overall and coherent representation of their behaviour in the consulting room

Communicating vaccine safety in the context of immunization programs in low resource settings.

Vaccines are effective in preventing infectious diseases and their complications, hence reducing morbidity and infectious disease mortaity. Successful immunization programs, however, depend on high vaccine acceptance and coverage rates. In recent years there has been an increased level of public concern towards real or perceived adverse events associated with immunizations, leading to many people in high- as well as low-resource settings to refuse vaccines. Health care workers therefore must be able to provide parents and guardians of children with the most current and accurate information about the benefits and risks of vaccination. Communicating vaccine safety using appropriate channels plays a crucial role in maintaining public trust and confidence in vaccination programs. Several factors render this endeavor especially challenging in low-resource settings where literacy rates are low and access to information is often limited. Many languages are spoken in most countries in low-resource settings, making the provision of appropriate information difficult. Poor infrastructure often results in inadequate logistics. Recently, some concerned consumer groups have been able to propagate misinformation and rumors. To successfully communicate vaccine safety in a resource limited setting it is crucial to use a mix of communication channels that are both culturally acceptable and effective. Social mobilization through cultural, administrative and political leaders, the media or text messages (SMS) as well as the adoption of the Village Health Team (VHT) strategy whereby trained community members (Community Health Workers (CHWs)) are providing primary healthcare, can all be effective in increasing the demand for immunization.

"I think about Oprah": social class differences in sources of health information.

Health information influences an individual's health outcomes. Indeed, researchers have found that communication inequalities contribute to health inequalities. We do not have a clear understanding of why and how the communication disparities exist, however, particularly the social forces behind such differences. The qualitative nature of this article reveals the nuances of health information seeking using the case of infertility. Through 58 in-depth interviews, I demonstrate how differences in social and cultural capital between women of low and high socioeconomic status (SES) result in different ways of learning about health. Women of high SES have access to support groups, physicians, and the Internet, whereas women of low SES do not discuss their health problems with their peers, and lack access to and distrust physicians. I explore how these differences in health information shape the illness experience. I conclude with policy implications.

Strategic roles for behaviour change communication in a changing malaria landscape.

Strong evidence suggests that quality strategic behaviour change communication (BCC) can improve malaria prevention and treatment behaviours. As progress is made towards malaria elimination, BCC becomes an even more important tool. BCC can be used 1) to reach populations who remain at risk as transmission dynamics change (e.g. mobile populations), 2) to facilitate identification of people with asymptomatic infections and their compliance with treatment, 3) to inform communities of the optimal timing of malaria control interventions, and 4) to explain changing diagnostic concerns (e.g. increasing false negatives as parasite density and multiplicity of infections fall) and treatment guidelines. The purpose of this commentary is to highlight the benefits and value for money that BCC brings to all aspects of malaria control, and to discuss areas of operations research needed as transmission dynamics change.

Cancer communication science funding trends, 2000-2012.

BACKGROUND: Since 2000, the field of health communication has grown tremendously, owing largely to research funding by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This study provides an overview of cancer communication science funding trends in the past decade. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of communication-related grant applications submitted to the NCI in fiscal years 2000-2012. Using 103 keywords related to health communication, data were extracted from the Portfolio Management Application, a grants management application used at NCI. Automated coding described key grant characteristics such as mechanism and review study section. Manual coding determined funding across the cancer control continuum, by cancer site, and by cancer risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 3307 unique grant applications met initial inclusion criteria; 1013 of these were funded over the 12-year period. The top funded grant mechanisms were the R01, R21, and R03. Applications were largely investigator-initiated proposals as opposed to responses to particular funding opportunity announcements. Among funded communication research, the top risk factor being studied was tobacco, and across the cancer control continuum, cancer prevention was the most common stage investigated. CONCLUSIONS: NCI support of cancer communication research has been an important source of growth for health communication science over the last 12 years. The analysis' findings describe NCI's priorities in cancer communication science and suggest areas for future investments.

Revisión documental de experiencias de actividad comunitaria en atención primaria de salud / Documental review of community health promotion experiences in primary health care

ObjetivoDescribir las actividades comunitarias (AC) publicadas o inscritas en redes de promoción de la salud en las que ha participado Atención Primaria (AP).DiseñoEstudio descriptivo, mediante revisión documental de experiencias.Fuentes de datosArtículos, actividades en redes de intercambio de experiencias on-line, comunicaciones y proyectos premiados.Selección de experienciasSe incluyeron AC en las que AP y la comunidad atendida participaban en su inicio, desarrollo y/o evaluación, sin ser acciones puntuales.Extracción de datosSe recogieron las siguiente variables: fuente, año del registro del documento, CCAA, Municipio, número y nombre de los centros de salud implicados, población diana, objetivos, participación de la comunidad, y de sectores sanitarios y no sanitarios, perspectiva teórica, y métodos de evaluación.ResultadosSe identificaron 472 actividades que cumplían criterios, con participación de 300 centros de salud de la mayoría de CCAA. El 71,8% registradas en redes on-line, y el 19,3% en artículos. Las poblaciones diana más frecuentes fueron población general (22,2%), jóvenes (18,2%) y madres y padres (10,2%). El 58,2% tenía como objetivos: capacitar a la comunidad para optar por comportamientos más saludables, transmitir información sanitaria a la población, o fomentar el autocuidado. En el 33,3% no participó ningún agente además de AP. Del resto, participaron sectores no sanitarios en el 53,8%, entidades cívicas 26,9% y administraciones 24,2%.ConclusionesLa mayoría de las AC documentadas se encuentran en redes y su presencia por CCAA es desigual. La participación de otros sectores diferentes de AP en las actividades identificadas es baja(AU)

ObjectiveDescribe the community activities (CA) published or registered in health promotion networks in which Primary Health Care (PHC) has taken part.DesignDescriptive study, by documental review of experiences. Data source: articles, activities in exchange networks, presentations and funded projects.Selected experiencesThe AC included were those where PHC and the local community were involved in its inception, development and/or evaluation, but not solitary actions with no continuity.Data extractionThe following variables were collected: Source and year of the document; region; municipality; name and number of health centres involved; target population; objectives; involvement of the community, the health and the non-health sectors; theoretical perspective and evaluation methods.ResultsA total of 472 activities were found that met criteria, involving 300 health centres in most of the autonomous regions. Of those, 71.8% were registered in networks, and 19.3% were registered in articles. The most frequent target populations were: the general population (22.2%), youth (18.2%) and parents (10.2%). More than half (58.2%) had one or more of the following objectives: to empower the community to choose healthy behaviours; transmit health information to the population, or encourage self-care. In 33.3% of the activities there were no other sectors involved besides Primary Care. Of the remainder, non-health sectors participated in 53.8%, civic bodies in 26.9%, and government administration in 24.2%.ConclusionsMost of the CA are documented in networks and their presence is uneven by region. The involvement of sectors other than PHC in the activities identified is low(AU)