Lecture 1 – welcome and kick-off
Upon successful comple-on of the course unit, students are able to:
o Describe the most important models and theories on health communica>on and health behavior change.
o Apply this knowledge in crea>ng health communica>on products.
o Analyze health communica>on products on relevant aspects of form and content.
o Communicate clearly and intelligibly about health communica>on.
Societal burden of unhealthy behaviors and chronic illness
® Life expectancy: how long an average person is expected to live. Life expectancy ≠ healthy years
® Healthy years: how long an average person is expected to live
without ac6vity limita6on.
® Disability Adjusted Life Years: years of life lost
(in comparison to the life expectancy) + years
lived with disability.
® Dual burden: the
Factors that threaten life expectancy:
o Developing countries: structural factors. coexistence of
o Developed countries: lifestyle factors infec6ous (structural)
(primarily based on habits and an and non-infec6ous
inappropriate rela>onship of people with condi6ons (mostly
their environment) lifestyle).
® Lifestyle condi6ons are responsible for 86% of years lived in disability. Medical services
are useful, but have limita6ons: they cost a lot of money.
® The most convenient way to secure a healthy society is to promote healthy living.
Behavior and communica6on sciences: promo6ng healthy living
All terms play a role in all domains
For people who are not ill and do not engage in For people who are not ill and do For people who are ill (health
unhealthy behavior engage in unhealthy behavior communica:on does also play a role here)
- Preven&on: from engaging in unhealthy - Behavior change (encourage - Empowering to manage your health
behavior people to stop engaging). condi:on: s:ll a life worth living
- Promo&on: to engage in healthy behavior - Awareness - Educa&on: managing their
- Persuasion: to do what people can do to - Persuasion disease/condi:on
live a healthy life - Persuasion
® Health communica>on: study the social-psychological causes of behavior and inves6gate
ways to influence behavior for the beGer (through training, educa6on, persuasion).
, Lecture 2 – Health communication: characteristics and frameworks
Defining health communica6on
® Health communica>on is a mul6disciplinary field that promotes all health behaviors. It is
prominent across areas such as public health, health care, nonprofits, and private sectors.
What can health communica6on do? ® quite a lot
® What do we want to achieve?
Persuasive communica>on:
influence people’s life for the
beGer.
o People-centered o Crea.ve in support of strategy
o Evidence-based o Audience- and media specific
o Mul.disciplinary o Rela.onship building
o Strategic o Aimed at behavioral and social results
o Process oriented o Inclusive of vulnerable and undeserved
o Cost-effec.ve popula.ons
® Some ways to change behavior: Health communica.on cannot:
o Financial instruments (taxa6on) o Compensate for inadequate infrastructure/services.
o Work in absence of policy, regula.on, and programs
o Direct regula6on (laws making things to support desired behavior.
obligatory or unlawful) o Be equally effec.ve in addressing all aspects of
o Social regula>on (via public complex problems
informa6on)
Health communica.on is necessary, but not sufficient
The health communica6on cycle
(general overview)
® The process of designing and
implemen6ng health communica6on
Structured
campaigns is circular.
® The cycle does not stop when the
Final phase (within implementa.on), Opera.onalizing and project ends: con6nue and take the
collec.ng, feedback into the next scaling the campaign
planning stage
learning process to the next campaign.
® Challenge towards integra6ng
(using input from several fields), but
also acknowledging the need to have
differen6ated (tailored) approaches
that address specific groups.
Key frameworks What is the single theore>cal frameworks that
® Most health communica6on ac6vi6es are not informed the most (health) communica>on
followed by theory, especially in the past. ac>vi>es in history?
® Theory is cri6cal for planning and evalua6on in ISLAGIATT: it seemed like a good idea at the
health communica6on time
Upon successful comple-on of the course unit, students are able to:
o Describe the most important models and theories on health communica>on and health behavior change.
o Apply this knowledge in crea>ng health communica>on products.
o Analyze health communica>on products on relevant aspects of form and content.
o Communicate clearly and intelligibly about health communica>on.
Societal burden of unhealthy behaviors and chronic illness
® Life expectancy: how long an average person is expected to live. Life expectancy ≠ healthy years
® Healthy years: how long an average person is expected to live
without ac6vity limita6on.
® Disability Adjusted Life Years: years of life lost
(in comparison to the life expectancy) + years
lived with disability.
® Dual burden: the
Factors that threaten life expectancy:
o Developing countries: structural factors. coexistence of
o Developed countries: lifestyle factors infec6ous (structural)
(primarily based on habits and an and non-infec6ous
inappropriate rela>onship of people with condi6ons (mostly
their environment) lifestyle).
® Lifestyle condi6ons are responsible for 86% of years lived in disability. Medical services
are useful, but have limita6ons: they cost a lot of money.
® The most convenient way to secure a healthy society is to promote healthy living.
Behavior and communica6on sciences: promo6ng healthy living
All terms play a role in all domains
For people who are not ill and do not engage in For people who are not ill and do For people who are ill (health
unhealthy behavior engage in unhealthy behavior communica:on does also play a role here)
- Preven&on: from engaging in unhealthy - Behavior change (encourage - Empowering to manage your health
behavior people to stop engaging). condi:on: s:ll a life worth living
- Promo&on: to engage in healthy behavior - Awareness - Educa&on: managing their
- Persuasion: to do what people can do to - Persuasion disease/condi:on
live a healthy life - Persuasion
® Health communica>on: study the social-psychological causes of behavior and inves6gate
ways to influence behavior for the beGer (through training, educa6on, persuasion).
, Lecture 2 – Health communication: characteristics and frameworks
Defining health communica6on
® Health communica>on is a mul6disciplinary field that promotes all health behaviors. It is
prominent across areas such as public health, health care, nonprofits, and private sectors.
What can health communica6on do? ® quite a lot
® What do we want to achieve?
Persuasive communica>on:
influence people’s life for the
beGer.
o People-centered o Crea.ve in support of strategy
o Evidence-based o Audience- and media specific
o Mul.disciplinary o Rela.onship building
o Strategic o Aimed at behavioral and social results
o Process oriented o Inclusive of vulnerable and undeserved
o Cost-effec.ve popula.ons
® Some ways to change behavior: Health communica.on cannot:
o Financial instruments (taxa6on) o Compensate for inadequate infrastructure/services.
o Work in absence of policy, regula.on, and programs
o Direct regula6on (laws making things to support desired behavior.
obligatory or unlawful) o Be equally effec.ve in addressing all aspects of
o Social regula>on (via public complex problems
informa6on)
Health communica.on is necessary, but not sufficient
The health communica6on cycle
(general overview)
® The process of designing and
implemen6ng health communica6on
Structured
campaigns is circular.
® The cycle does not stop when the
Final phase (within implementa.on), Opera.onalizing and project ends: con6nue and take the
collec.ng, feedback into the next scaling the campaign
planning stage
learning process to the next campaign.
® Challenge towards integra6ng
(using input from several fields), but
also acknowledging the need to have
differen6ated (tailored) approaches
that address specific groups.
Key frameworks What is the single theore>cal frameworks that
® Most health communica6on ac6vi6es are not informed the most (health) communica>on
followed by theory, especially in the past. ac>vi>es in history?
® Theory is cri6cal for planning and evalua6on in ISLAGIATT: it seemed like a good idea at the
health communica6on time
