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In modeling human behavior and social structures several factors can emerge over time this can be attributed to the availability of new data, increased complexity, changes to the organizational structure, interventions, introduction of innovative technology or services and due to improved knowledge and treatments. We hypothesize a new class of emergent decision support systems that continually evolve to account for this "Causal Drift". In this work, we illustrate the application of the Emergent Approach to Systems and Intervention (EASI™) methodology with the example of Community Intervention Activity Model (CIAM) to reduce the rate of diabetic hospitalization at the local/ county level. A key contribution of this work is the design of an efficient theoretically informed emergent data collection system. A second key contribution of this work is that it offers practitioners a methodology to systematically determine data that needs to be collected and then model the collected data. Thus EASI™ methodology supports the efficient capture of data that has utility in decision making. To ensure applicability of this work publicly available Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) data sets have been utilized. The EASI™ method has four significant advantages: a) the prediction is based on theoretically informed causal structure; this allows it to be used as a basis for evaluation of interventions as opposed to deep learning and other machine-based structure learning methods which are susceptible to spurious associations, b) existing data is utilized to evaluate clinical relevance of predictions, c) leveraging high dimensional synthetic observational health data to model health objectives, and d) provides guidance on transformation of system from the emergent basis to the new emergent system as new knowledge is gained. The dissertation proposes, implements, and evaluates the EASI™ methodology as applied to a CAIM for the reduction in diabetic hospitalizations.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Nancy Muturi / Background: With the growing concern of obesity in the United States, food, as the main source of energy and nutrition has become an issue of research interest. Though the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA) requires nutrition information to be made available for customers in order to guide their dietary choices and intake, obesity rate has increased significantly in the past 20 years. This study examined how nutrition literacy affects college-age population’s reading nutrition labels, and how motivation of label reading associated with predictors of the label reading behavior. Method: An online, self-administered questionnaire was conducted among a randomized sample of 171 students from a Mid-Western university. The questionnaire was structured with key variables derived from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM); such as attitude to make food choices based on reading nutrition labels. Levels of nutrition literacy were measured by questions derived from a nutrition labels survey. Data analysis was conducted with Pearson’s correlation and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Majority of the college student respondents in this study had adequate nutrition literacy. Though no significance was revealed from the correlation between nutrition literacy and the dependent variables due to the limit variance in nutrition literacy data, this study found that individual’s motivation to read nutrition label and attitude towards reading nutrition label are positively related. Results also showed that individuals with higher motivation to read nutrition labels have better perceived behavioral control of reading nutrition labels. Conclusion: Participants in this study, as an emerging adulthood population with college-level education, revealed adequate nutrition literacy in general. It can also be concluded that improvement in attitude towards certain behavior relates to development in motivation and perception-based involvement.

<p> This study examined the communicative construction of mental health in correctional work. Using narrative interviews with 25 current and former correctional officers, I explore how macro, meso, and micro D/discourses both enable and constrain communication and action around mental health for correctional employees. The findings suggest that larger cultural Discourses related to masculinity, bounded rationality, and personal responsibility, meso discourses related to organizational expectations, and daily micro-talk about mental health and resources such as the Employee Assistance Program, primarily create and sustain communication barriers that limit correctional workers from communicating about or seeking help for mental health challenges. From a critical perspective, D/discourses related to power and control privileged the rational experiences of workers and marginalized the emotional/physical experiences, a practice I argue has significant implications for the health and well-being of workers. </p><p>

Not everyone has a background in the sciences or medicine, but everyone at some point will need to interpret medical information and use it to make decisions that will significantly impact their own life or the life of a loved one. Understanding who to trust when seeking medical advice can seem daunting in an age of instant access to a nearly limitless number of online sources and the constantly evolving presence of social media. Through the rhetorical concept of ethos, broken into phronesis (practical wisdom), arête (virtue), and eunoia (good will), we can analyze methods used by different rhetors to determine how they build authority and earn their audience's trust, thereby influencing the audience's beliefs and actions. Vaccines are a salient topic to analyze for ethos building, as there is an ongoing and passionate debate from various rhetors vying to influence patients and parents to vaccinate according to different beliefs surrounding public health, safety, and individual liberty. Analyzing public-facing information from opposite sides of the debate, specifically from healthcare professionals, government organizations, and lay people, can help us see different methods utilized when creating an ethos about the same topic. Understanding how rhetors build ethos may help us understand what those rhetors consider important and may help us reach them as an audience more effectively. It was found that when ethos-building, professionals and government organizations focused more on building expertise and goodwill towards the general population while anti-vaccination lay rhetors focused more on individual connections and goodwill towards small groups perceived as vulnerable. Through studies such as this focused on the rhetoric of medicine, we can learn to create better communications and documents about vaccines and healthcare that earn trust and that influence members of the community towards safeguarding public health.

This paper outlines the development of a health communications campaign targeted toward college students at the University of Texas at Austin, regarding the issue of sleep deprivation. Existing literature, informal formative research, and concept testing are applied to two main health communication theories: the Health Belief Model, and the Transtheoretical Model. The iterative process of the campaign development is outlined, and key deliverables included. / text

Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Health communication is one of the interventions used to overcome health issues in society. Behavioural change is a process that relies on influence, and carefully designed messages about a desired outcome. These messages are captured from health communication interventions such as health communication campaigns about HIV/AIDS. This study empirically measured behavioural intention and followed the introduction of the health communication campaigns at the University of Limpopo (UL) campus amongst students from all faculties. In order to evaluate these campaigns, a positivist research paradigm was chosen, and the quantitative approach was used to measure and determine the relationship between the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The constructs (or predictor variables) of the TPB model are deterministic of behavioural change. They work together to achieve change in behaviour, where the outcome variable is the behavioural intention. This study used the TPB model to guide the literature and methodology when it came to the formulation of questions for data collection. The target population sampled was aged between 18 and 28, and all the participants belonged to various schools across all faculties at the University of Limpopo. The researcher used of the Stratified random sampling method which is classified under probability sampling; 401 questionnaires were coded, and analysed. SPSS® version 25 was used to analyse the data. The results were-drawn descriptively and inferentially. This was done in order to define the relationship between the theory’s variables. The researcher used both Pearson Correlations and Regression Analysis to define the relationship between the variables. Descriptively, the majority of 148 (36.9%) participants strongly agreed while 174 (43.4%) agreed that they intended to participate in health communication campaigns in the future, as the predictor variable. Inferential findings showed that the behavioural intention variable amongst the students proved to be the one that contributed most towards behavioural change. The researcher suggests that further research should focus on message development. Health campaign messages should be developed that trigger intention, in order to achieve behavioural change for individuals so that they can ultimately participate in health campaigns.

Master of Science / Journalism and Mass Communications / Nancy W. Muturi / Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders are common mental health disorders that threaten the well-being of ethnic minorities. Asian international students are suggested experience higher level of depression and anxiety, but less likely to use mental health services than students in general. This study examines factors that motivate and impede Chinese international students from seeking college counseling services from the perspective of health communication. Method: An online, self-administered questionnaire was conducted among a randomized sample of 150 Chinese international students from a Mid-Western university. The questionnaire was structured with key variables derived from the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), such as perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and self-efficacy of using counseling services. Key variables are measured by 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was conducted with Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression. Results: Chinese international students’ counseling seeking behavior is influenced by their perceived self-efficacy and external impediments of using counseling services. Perceived knowledge of mental health disorders and counseling contribute significantly to Chinese international perceived self-efficacy of using counseling services; however, perceived knowledge of the two items are generally low. The adherence of Asian cultural values, especially to collectivism and emotional self-control, contribute significantly to Chinese international students’ negative perceptions of counseling. Conclusion: College counseling services should conduct health communication campaigns that aim at improving Asian international students’ knowledge of depression/anxiety and psychological counseling, in order to encourage them to engage in college counseling system. College counseling services should also enhance the cultural sensitivity of counselors, and provide culture-matched counseling services to Asian international students.

The purpose of this study was to delve into the factors that might influence someone to adopt a health app and to ultimately adopt a healthy behavior. This research extended the use of diffusion of innovations theory to health-related mobile apps. In knowing more about the way that innovation attributes are used in real-world health app descriptions and in how those descriptions might influence the adoption decisions, not just of the health app but of the related health behavior, we might be able to impact the way that professionals communicate the need for healthy behaviors to people. This study used a content analysis of the top-rated mobile health app product descriptions and user reviews to design experimental stimuli that mirrored real-world app description pages. The experiment manipulated the use of statements of innovation attributes and examined the way participants described their likelihood to adopt an app and the associated healthy behaviors. The study found that diffusion of innovation attributes did not influence participants’ likelihood to adopt a health app or healthy behaviors, but those participants who reported tracking their own health, physical activity, and diet were more likely to download a health app and to perform the associated healthy behaviors. The study has implications for the qualities health educators or healthcare professionals attempt to educate and persuade people about their health.

The main idea of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is to combine with multimedia and all interesting shareholders, and concentrate on the major audiences. It has been used in several fields because of its integrated characteristic. In the past, the field of health communication only focused on the dimension of public health, but now both of the smoke industry and drug industry use the varieties of promotion skills to persuade people to buy tobacco and patent medicine. Therefore, the field of health communication should try to use integrated conception to promote correct ideas and then measure the effect of promotion and revise the strategy. The research studies the effect of using IMC strategy in popularizing smoke-free restaurant. The author uses the secondhand data of the popularization program of smoke-free restaurant and then uses questionnaire to try to understand the cognition¡Battitude and behavior of people who eat in the smoke-free restaurant in Kaohsiung city. The research also wants to measure whether or not the program sends ¡§one voice¡¨ to the consumers. The results of the empirical research find out the popularization program of smoke-free restaurant sends ¡§one voice¡¨ to the consumers so that the consumers can easily understand what smoke-free restaurant is. Besides, the cognition of the consumers is relevant with the attitude of the consumers and then the attitude of the consumers is relevant with the behavior of the consumers. Therefore, besides delivering the coherent message with IMC for promotion of Smoke-free restaurant, IMC also does achieve the best effect as a tool for promotion of health communication.