Communicating health: People, culture and context

Shuang Liu, University of Queensland Guo-Ming Chen, University of Rhode Island [China Media Research. 2010; 6(4):1-2] Issues related to health have become increasingly critical and complex in our society; and the link between communication and health is increasingly recognized as a crucial element for improving personal and public health (Piotrow, Kincaid, Rimon, Rinehart, & Samson., 1997; Dutta, 2008). Health communication contributes to disease prevention and health promotion, doctor-patient relations, the design of public health campaigns, dissemination of health risk via the mass media, and change in individual and public attitudes and behaviors. For individuals, effective health communi-cation can help raise awareness of health risks and equip them with skills to reduce these risks. For the public, health communication strategies can influence the public agenda, advocate for policies and programs, promote positive changes in attitudes and environments, improve the delivery of public healthcare services, change the social climate to encourage healthy behaviors, and endorse beliefs, values and social norms that benefit health and quality of life in general. The environment for communicating health has changed significantly in the 21