Samantha Nazione

Topics and Sources of Memorable Breast Cancer Messages and Their Impact on Prevention and Detection Behaviors

Often, people are able to recall a message on a particular topic for a long period of time. These memorable messages have the ability to influence behavior when they are recalled from memory long after initial exposure. Knowing the topics and sources of the messages that are remembered about breast cancer can improve the efficacy of future breast cancer outreach. To this end, 359 women completed an online survey about memorable breast cancer messages. Most women (60%) recalled a memorable message, described it, identified its source, and noted whether it had resulted in prevention or detection behaviors. Four categories of message topics emerged: early detection (37.3%), awareness (30.9%), treatment (25.8%), and prevention (6%). Furthermore, five categories of sources of these memorable messages were found: media (35.5%), friends (22.2%), family (21.6%), medical professionals (15.2%), and others (5.5%). The media were a major source of all four topics of messages, although family members, friends, and the medical community were major sources for particular message topics as well. Memorable messages originating from medical professionals were substantially more likely to motivate detection behaviors than prevention behaviors. This research demonstrates that message topic and source both play roles in determining message recall as well as in determining how memorable messages impacted behavior.

Action tendency emotions evoked by memorable breast cancer messages and their association with prevention and detection behaviors

Memorable messages about breast cancer sent by different sources, such as friends and family members, were analyzed for the action tendency emotions that they evoked. Negative emotions of fear, sadness, and anger, and positive emotions of hope and relief were analyzed for their associations with prevention and detection breast cancer behaviors. Messages that evoked fear were significantly more likely to be associated with detection behaviors, whereas messages that evoked relief were significantly less likely to be associated with detection behaviors than messages that did not evoke these emotions. These results are consistent with control theory and also show that friends and family are important sources of memorable messages about breast cancer.

Memorable Messages for Navigating College Life

This manuscript details an investigation of memorable messages that help students navigate college life using a control theory framework. Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with 61 undergraduate students who recalled a specific memorable message that helped them as they navigated college. Results of this formative study show the majority of participants’ memorable messages were academic, and approximately 70% reported changing their behavior when recalling the message. Findings include categories of messages, challenges and topics, message sources, and changes in behavior and attitudes as a result of recalling the message. Additionally, the authors discuss responses to the study findings by college personnel that highlight the applicability of the research.

Telehospice: reasons for slow adoption in home hospice care

We investigated why hospice nurses were slow to adopt videophones to care for their patients. We used the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model and the organizational readiness for change (ORC) assessment via interviews and focus groups with hospice staff. Twenty-five hospice employees participated. Eighteen (72%) were in clinical positions and seven were in non-clinical positions (28%). Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported no videophone training, despite the fact that every employee had received training. Only four staff members actually used a videophone with patients. The respondents overwhelmingly stated that they had the organizational resources necessary to use the videophone and that it was easy to operate. Despite initial enthusiasm, leaders in the hospice agency did not endorse the videophones for work, nor offer incentives for using the videophones or providing them to patients. It is important to note that videophone technology is not meant to replace face-to-face visits, but to supplement them and to provide an additional tool for the nurses.

The Impact of Personal and/or Close Relationship Experience on Memorable Messages About Breast Cancer and the Perceived Speech Acts of the Sender

Background. Memorable messages and their speech acts (purposes of the messages) can promote protection against breast cancer and guide health behaviors. Methods. Participants reported their personal, friends’, and relatives’ experiences with breast cancer and a memorable message about breast cancer if one came to mind. Those with a memorable message reported its perceived speech acts. Results. Individuals who had personal and friend or relative experience with breast cancer were significantly more likely to recall memorable messages than other respondents. The most frequently perceived speech acts were providing facts, providing advice, and giving hope. Conclusions. This information should be used to form messages in future breast cancer protection campaigns.

An Initial Investigation Into Naturally Occurring Loss- and Gain-Framed Memorable Breast Cancer Messages

Memorable message research examines interpersonal messages “ … remembered for extremely long periods of time and which people perceive as a major influence on the course of their lives” (Knapp, Stohl, & Reardon, 1981, p. 27). They can also guide actions, such as health behaviors. This exploratory research examined self-reported memorable messages about breast cancer to determine if they were framed, emphasizing either the benefits (gain-framed) or the costs (loss-framed) of a behavior. About one-fourth of the messages were framed, with most being gain-framed. The messages tended to emphasize early detection actions. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Living kidney donor decision making and communication

There is high demand for kidney donors in the United States, and it is widely accepted that living donation is optimal for individuals who need a kidney. Much research has focused on the potential recipient, but little has been studied about the communication and decision making of living kidney donors. Interviews assessed the communication and decision-making processes of 43 kidney donor volunteers. Almost all of the participants were not asked, but instead volunteered, to donate. The majority of donors reported having conversations with the recipient and speaking about their decisions with other individuals in their social networks besides the recipient. Some participants said that they stopped talking to others because of negative feedback. Future research should further examine the communication of donors with non-recipient others and potential methods of training recipients and donors to communicate effectively about the donation process.

Localized Prostate Cancer Treatment Decision-Making Information Online: Improving its Effectiveness and Dissemination for Nonprofit and Government-Supported Organizations

The current study reports findings from evaluation research conducted to identify how online prostate cancer treatment decision-making information can be both improved and more effectively disseminated to those who need it most. A multi-method, multi-target approach was used and guided by McGuires Communication Matrix Model. Focus groups (n = 31) with prostate cancer patients and their family members, and in-depth interviews with physicians (n = 8), helped inform a web survey (n = 89). Results indicated that physicians remain a key information source for medical advice and the Internet is a primary channel used to help make informed prostate cancer treatment decisions. Participants reported a need for more accessible information related to treatment options and treatment side effects. Additionally, physicians indicated that the best way for agencies to reach them with new information to deliver to patients is by contacting them directly and meeting with them one-on-one. Advice for organizations to improve their current prostate cancer web offerings and further ways to improve information dissemination are discussed.

A 10-Year Content Analysis of Original Research Articles Published in Health Communication and Journal of Health Communication (2000–2009)

This study presents data from a content analysis of original research articles published in Health Communication and Journal of Health Communication from 2000 to 2009. The authors coded 776 articles using categories that identified health topics, theory, population characteristics, and methods used in each study. Distinctions between the published research in Health Communication and Journal of Health Communication are highlighted. Across both journals, findings demonstrated articles sometimes lack racial demographic information, primarily perform research in the United States, rely heavily on survey data, and often lack a theoretical framework. The top physical health topic addressed across both journals was cancer, and the top non–physical health topic addressed was the role of media in health. Journals displayed differences in several areas and those differences often mirrored each journals stated objectives. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for expanding health communication research to be reflective of issues salient to public health within the United States and around the world.

The Effects of Heuristic Cues, Motivation, and Ability on Systematic Processing of Information About Breast Cancer Environmental Factors

The heuristic systematic model is used to investigate how ability, motivation, and heuristic message cues predict knowledge scores for individuals receiving messages written for different literacy levels about 3 environmental risk factors for breast cancer. The 3 risk factors were the roles of genetics, progesterone, and ingesting perfluorooctanoic acid in breast cancer risk. In this study, more than 4,000 women participated in an online survey. The results showed support for the hypotheses that ability (measured as education, number of science courses, and confidence in scientific ability) predict knowledge gain and that those individuals who presented with the lower literacy level message had significantly higher knowledge scores across all 3 message topics. There was little support for motivation or heuristic cues as direct predictors of knowledge gain across the 3 message topics, although they served as moderators for the perfluorooctanoic acid topic. The authors provide implications for health communication practitioners.