Awareness and Instruction Strategies

Entities ranging from insurance companies to health care professionals are interested in raising awareness and providing instruction related to diverse health issues. The goal of these strategies is to increase visibility and knowledge, create or augment attitudes, and eventually increase the enactment of healthy behaviors. This dissemination of important health information is a main focus of health communication research. Awareness and instruction strategies can take various forms, ranging from major federal organizations issuing health advisories to a mother teaching her daughter how to properly wash her hands.

This entry provides overviews of awareness and instruction strategies, giving examples on [Page 90]the macro or system level, mediated or campaign level, and finally the micro or interpersonal level. Barriers to effective implementation are reviewed, and basic recommendations for ...