Health Communication Model

1.0 Overview of Health Communication

1.1 Description

Health Communication is an effective process which informs the public of key health information. It is shared through a wide range of methods, though it predominantly uses the

“transmission model of media”,1 progressing in a linear direction. It’s firstly communicated from a credible source, who conveys a reliable message (orally or written), which is then received by an audience (public).

1.2 Cultural Model of Communication1

This model demonstrates how differing contexts (e.g. social, cultural, economic and cognitive) will directly influence an individual’s perception of the conveyed message. This shows humans can perceive information differently depending on their background and

personal

“#LikeAGirl”12 – I remember watching this clip when I was about 14. It really impacted me, as it was funny as actors replicated actions “like a girl”12 but then it became confronting when the girls acted normally and then the actors who demonstrated the stereotype were asked if they insulted women close to them, but they said ‘no.’ This really communicated to me the importance of female selfconfidence and has actually helped me shape into a stronger woman today. The use of the select people contrasting against a blank screen, really impacted me as a visual learner, as my eyes immediately focused on the subjects and what they’d to say, therefore resonating more of an impact than if it was a flyer about it.

2. Diabetes Posters13 – I remember my dad showing me this picture of an ice-cream cone, but instead of ice-cream, it was a heart. This was very confronting, and I stared at it for quite some time, as it wasn’t I hadn’t seen before. It also had a metaphor

“Don’t ‘treat’ Diabetes to your heart”13. After seeing this image, I’ve become hyperaware about what I’m consuming, as the realistic yet animated visual has vividly been glued into my head, always reminding me of the health issues regarding diabetes. 29710987: PBH1102 AT1: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

As in a visual perceptive, the viewer can see all the various diagrams and words, whilst also hearing the simultaneous sounds of the video to further understand and retain the information mentioned in the video. Therefore, when presenting information for this dual-learner, using:

• dialogue – auditory

• music – auditory

• rhymes – auditory

• slogan – auditory

• bold fonts – visual

• words – visual

• pictures/screenplay – visual

• images/diagrams – visual to meaningfully support their view of the issue to help attract a visual/auditory learner’s attention and hopefully retention of the health topic, cause and treatment.

5.0 Summary of Experiences

Health Communication is a revolutionised worldwide practice promoting better health for the public. Therefore, health experts use the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles to effectively communicate health information to improve public health by utilising strategies that best appeal to different learners to effectively showcase the importance of health and wellbeing. Reflectively, as I am both a visual and auditory learner I believe health communication is integral to improving public health knowledge and