The Influence of Memorable Message Receipt on Dietary and Exercise Behavior among Self-Identified Black Women.

Guided by Control Theory and the memorable messages framework, the current investigation examined the relationship between receipt of a health-related memorable message and self-reported diet and exercise behavior. A cross-sectional survey methodology was utilized to evaluate the relationship between receipt of a memorable message and dietary and exercise behaviors in a sample of Black women. Over 80% of the research sample (N = 121) reported receiving a memorable health message regarding diet and/or exercise. Women receiving a memorable message reported a significantly higher number of days engaging in healthy eating and exercise behaviors each week. Messages from medical professionals had the greatest impact on healthy dietary practices, while media-based messages were most influential on the enactment of exercise behavior. Additional research is warranted to determine how the utilization and reinforcement of memorable messages impacts health outcomes among Black women.

The Health Belief Model as an explanatory framework in communication research: exploring parallel, serial, and moderated mediation.

The Health Belief Model (HBM) posits that messages will achieve optimal behavior change if they successfully target perceived barriers, benefits, self-efficacy, and threat. While the model seems to be an ideal explanatory framework for communication research, theoretical limitations have limited its use in the field. Notably, variable ordering is currently undefined in the HBM. Thus, it is unclear whether constructs mediate relationships comparably (parallel mediation), in sequence (serial mediation), or in tandem with a moderator (moderated mediation). To investigate variable ordering, adults (N = 1,377) completed a survey in the aftermath of an 8-month flu vaccine campaign grounded in the HBM. Exposure to the campaign was positively related to vaccination behavior. Statistical evaluation supported a model where the indirect effect of exposure on behavior through perceived barriers and threat was moderated by self-efficacy (moderated mediation). Perceived barriers and benefits also formed a serial mediation chain. The results indicate that variable ordering in the Health Belief Model may be complex, may help to explain conflicting results of the past, and may be a good focus for future research.

The Black Church and Public Health: A Key Partnership for Theory Driven COVID-19 Recovery Efforts.

The COVID-19 epidemic has negatively impacted the Black community in the United States. Despite current disease mitigation efforts, work is still needed to ensure that Black individuals living in the United States understand their risks regarding COVID-19 infection whether vaccinated or unvaccinated. Thus, the current article posits that the Black church, in concert with public health practitioners, is a venue through which theoretically based health messages should be designed and disseminated regarding COVID-19 recovery efforts. The Health Belief Model and the Harm Reduction approach are posed as theoretical frameworks to facilitate the design of such messages.

Using structured writing communities to facilitate undergraduate research writing.

This article outlines a structured writing community activity originally created to assist communication majors complete their capstone projects. This activity draws upon the Writing Accountability Group (WAG) strategy that has been utilized to facilitate graduate student and early career faculty writing. The current article provides an overview of a semester-long activity that builds upon the WAG format by providing several avenues of additional support to help undergraduate students establish goals and make incremental progress on a specified project over the course of the semester or quarter session. Information regarding how to facilitate a structured writing community as well as potential assessments are provided. Strategies to help instructors overcome barriers to success are also outlined. COURSES: Communication capstone, Communication theory, Research methods, or any other course that requires a high-stakes assignment. OBJECTIVES: Students will (1) develop achievable, short-term goals related to project completion; (2) prioritize tasks associated with project completion; and subsequently (3) execute and submit a completed capstone project or senior thesis.

I want to talk to a real person: theorising avoidance in the acceptance and use of automated technologies.

Automated communication systems are increasingly common in mobile and ehealth contexts. Yet, there is reason to believe that some high risk segments of the population might be prone to avoid automated systems even though they are often designed to reach these groups. To facilitate research in this area, avoidance of automated communication (AAC) is theorized - and a measurement instrument validated - across two studies. In study 1, an AAC scale was found to be unidimensional and internally reliable as well as negatively correlated with comfort, perceptions, and intentions to use technology. Moreover, individuals with social phobia had lower AAC scores which was consistent with the idea that they preferred non-human interaction facilitated by automated communication. In study 2, confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the measure and the instrument once again proved to be reliable. Individuals with lower AAC had greater intentions to utilize automated communication, EHRs, and an automated virtual nurse program. AAC is a disposition that predicts significant variance in intentions and comfort with various automated communication technologies. Avoidance increases with age but may be mitigated by systems that allow participants to opt-out or immediately interact with a live person.