THEORIES AND MODELS IN
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
BY DR KUBRA QADRI
Mentor Dr Mohammad Iqbal Pandit
WHY I CHOSE THIS TOPIC
Communication has essential
role in any action that aims
to improve health . It is
difficult to imagine how a
message could be delivered
to promote healthy choices if
we could not communicate
CONTENTS
Definition of communication and basic
model
Communication in health promotion
Methods of communication
Theory of planned behaviour
Transtheoritical model
Communication persuasion model
Communication is a process in which
participants create and share
information with one another to reach
mutual understanding
Communication is a transactional
process which is an essential,
instrumental and purposeful process
In health promotion communication is
a planned process . The effectiveness of
this planned process comes to fruition
when the audience has achieved, acted
on or responded to a message
COMPONENTS
The basic model is conceptualized as one way
flow process:
SENDE MESSAG RECEIVE
R E R
In addition to this forth and fifth variable can
be added
Complete understanding by reciever
Feedback to communicator
MODIFIED MODEL
Sender
feedback Message
Understan
Reciever
ding
Communication in health
Promotion
Communication in health takes place on
many levels, including individual, group,
organization, community or mass-media.
Kreps (2003) summarizes the addition of
‘health’ to the definition of communication as
a ‘resource’ that allows health messages (for
example prevention, risk or awareness) to be
used in the education and avoidance of ill
health
Methods of communication
Intrapersonal Internal communication(for eg what we
think, when we listen to an innervoice)
Interpersonal One-to-one, small groups ,emails, telephone calls
and other activities that allow personal listening
and response
Organizational Lectures, Seminars ,
debates ,meetings ,memos ,intranets, newsletters,
workshops, displays
community Local radio ,talks ,seminars ,debates ,local
newspaper ,bill boards, bus wraps, health fairs
Public /Mass TV, Radio, Newspaper, Internet ,national radio,
mobile phones etc
Models and theories overview
The purpose of theory is to enable the
successful exchange of information between
the health promoter and the target audience
Theory is often used to inform the groundwork
for health promotion, but is usually given less
attention (if any at all) during the
implementation of programme
Theory can therefore help predict and explain
behaviours, assist in the targeting of
information and predict the effect that
information will have.
Why MODELS?
Models are derived from a simplified version
of theory and can be used to guide the
development of health promotion
programmes. Theories and models are ‘useful
in planning, implementing and evaluating
interventions’ Models in health promotion
usually seek to include key elements
important to behaviour and decision-making
processes
Theories
THEORETICAL MODELS:
Cognitive theories
Stage step theories
Theory of planned
behaviour
Transtheoritical
model
Health belief model
The theory of planned behaviour
Attitude
Subjective norm
Behavioural
intentions
Behaviour
Perceived behavioural control
Attitude to behaviour: the balancing of
pro/cons of performing or the risks/rewards
they associate with that choice
Subjective norm: social pressure from
significant others, for eg peers,media or
family
Perceived behavioural control: the perception
that person has about their ability to perform
the behaviour
Simplistic view of theory of
planned behaviour
Positiv
e
attitud
e Stro Mor
ng e
Supp beh likel
ortive
avio y to
subje perf
ctive ural orm
norm inte beha
High ntio viou
perceive
d ns r
behaviou
ral
control
Health belief model
Modifying
Individual Likelihood of
factors
perception action
s
Action
likely?
Perceived CUES OF
threat of ACTION
disease
Perceived
suspectibilit
y and
perceived
The HBM includes four factors
1. The person needs to have an
‘incentive’ to change their behaviour
2. The person must feel there is a ‘risk’ of
continuing the current behaviour
3.The person must believe change will
have ‘benefits’, and these need to
outweigh the ‘barriers
4.The person must have the
‘confidence’ (self-efficacy) to make
the change to their behaviour
TRANSTHEORITICAL MODEL
HBM IN ACTION
Theo never wears a seatbelt. He has never
crashed his car and thinks he is a good driver.
He thinks seatbelts restrict his movement
when driving, and none of his friends wear
seatbelts either.
Outcome: Using the HBM, the benefits Theo
sees of wearing a seatbelt are minimal, and the
barriers to wearing one are numerous (ruins
his image, restrict movement etc). It is likely
that his decision will be that he does not wear
a seatbelt as the costs (ruined image,
restricted movement) outweigh the benefits
(safety, injury prevention)
Process of Behaviour Change
The Communication –
Persuasion model
source Messsa
INPUT
Chann receiver destinati
ge el on
Tuning in
OUTPUT
Attending
Liking
comprehe
nding
Generatin
g
Acquiring
Agreeing
Storing
Retreival
Decision
Acting
Post
action
Convertin
Case Study Communication–persuasion
model in practice: 5 a day
1.Tuning in: Exposure to the five-a-day message.
2.Attending: Paying attention to the five-a-day
message.
3.Liking: Liking and being interested in the
message.
4Comprehending: Understanding the message
concept (i.e. need to eat five different types of fruit
and vegetables every day).
5 Generating: Related cognitions (thinking what
would need to be done to eat five a day.
6 Acquiring: Gaining skills to act on the message,
for example cooking, shopping, changes to diet.
7 Agreeing: Agreeing to eat five a day.
8 Storing: Storing the five a day.
9 Retrieval: Being able to retrieve five a day
at appropriate times (i.e. in the supermarket,
when cooking).
10 Decision: Deciding to eat five fruit and
vegetables every day.
11 Acting: Eating five fruit and vegetables a
day.
12 Post-action: Continuing to eat five a day.
13 Converting: Encouraging or advising
others to eat five a day
OTHER THEORIES
BULLS EYE THEORY
PING PONG THEORY
SPIRAL THEORY
SUMMARY
REFRENCES
https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/
upm-binaries/
13975_Corcoran___Chapter_1.pdf
https://www.utwente.nl/en
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