Self-management of complex chronic conditions: Recommendations for qualitative health communication research

Background: Chronic conditions are on the rise worldwide, urging researchers to increase efforts to develop tailored self-management interventions. Theories and findings from health communication hold great potential to inform these developments, provided that the main current challenges in the field are adequately addressed. Aim: To recommend targets for research in health communication, focusing on qualitative methods, in the field of self-management of (complex) chronic conditions. Methods: A position paper based on a selective review of literature on self-management of chronic health conditions. Findings: To better support the development of tailored self-management programs, health communication research should: i) consider the existential dimension of self-management behavior; ii) recognize and address the fact that we live in an information landscape characterized by information overload and infodemic, and iii) apply qualitative methods to ensure that individuals' perspectives are fully taken into account. Discussion and conclusion: Gaining in-depth qualitative insights into the adjustment process for (complex) chronic health conditions is of mainstream importance for developing tailored communication interventions that can assist newly diagnosed individuals in integrating multiple self-management behaviors in their lives. This holds great potential to improve health outcomes for individuals and to reduce costs for society.&nbsp

Acceptance of Public Health Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Swiss Population’s Beliefs, Attitudes, Trust, and Information-Seeking Behavior

Objectives: This study aimed to advance the understanding of the factors associated with population acceptance of public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: In January 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of the Swiss population (N = 2,587). Questionnaires were administered through computer-assisted web interviewing. Measures covered included information-seeking behavior, attitudes towards and beliefs about public health measures enacted, and trust in institutions.Results: Television and newspapers were the most used information sources. Those with higher education levels were more likely to use channels from public institutions, newspapers, and television. The most important criterion for reliable information was scientific evidence. Trust was highest for doctors, healthcare workers, universities, research institutes, and public health institutions. Acceptance of public health measures was high overall, and attitudes, beliefs, information-seeking behavior, and trust were positively related to acceptance. Trust in science remained stable, while trust in public health institutions decreased slightly.Conclusion: While nurturing a two-way dialogue with the population, institutions should target communication considering age and culture, improve risk communication, ground messages in scientific evidence, and ensure mass media presence

Defining and measuring health literacy: how can we profit from other literacy domains?

When the antecedents of health-promoting behavior are explored, the concept of health literacy is deemed a factor of major influence. Originally defined as reading, writing and numeracy skills in the health domain, health literacy is now considered a multidimensional concept. The ongoing discussion on health literacy reveals that no agreement exists about which dimensions to include in the concept. To contribute to the development of a consistent and parsimonious concept of health literacy, we conducted a critical review of concepts in other literacy domains. Our review was guided by two research questions: (i) Which dimensions are included in the concepts of other literacy domains? (ii) How can health literacy research profit from other literacy domains? Based on articles collected from PubMed, PsycINFO, Communication & Mass Media Complete, CINAHL, SAGE Full-Text Collection, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar as well as selected monographs and editions, we identified seven distinct dimensions. Some of the dimensions recur across all reviewed literacy domains and first attempts have been made to operationalize the dimensions. Expanding upon these dimensions, the paper discusses how they can prove useful for elaborating a consistent and parsimonious concept of health literacy and foster the development of a more holistic measur

Where else would I look for it? A five-country qualitative study on purposes, strategies, and consequences of online health information seeking

Background. Online health information (OHI) is widely available and consulted by many people in Western countries to gain health advice. The main goal of the present study is to provide a detailed account of the experiences among people from various demographic backgrounds living in high-income countries, who have used OHI. Design and methods. Thematic analysis of 165 qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted among OHI users residing in Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland was performed. Results. The lived experience of people using OHI seem not to differ across countries. The interviews show that searches for OHI are motivated from curiosity, sharing of experiences, or affirmation for actions already taken. Most people find it difficult to appraise the information, leading them to cross-check sources or discuss OHI with others. OHI seems to impact mostly some specific types of health behaviors, such as changes in diet or physical activity, while it only plays a complementary role for more serious health concerns. Participants often check OHI before seeing their GP, but are reluctant to discuss online content with health care personnel due to expected negative reception. Conclusions. This study adds to the body of knowledge on eHealth literacy by demonstrating how OHI affects overall health behavior, strengthens patients’ ability to understand, live with, and prepare themselves for diverse health challenges. The increasing digitalization of health communication and health care calls for further research on digital divides and patient-professional relations. Health care professionals should acknowledge OHI seeking and engage in discussions with patients to enable them to appreciate OHI, and to support shared decision making in health care. The professionals can utilize patient’s desire to learn as a resource for health prevention, promotion or treatment, and empowerment

Attitudes towards Safe Listening Measures in Entertainment Venues: Results from an International Survey among Young Venue-Goers

Background: Sustained exposure to excess noise in recreational settings is among the main causes of hearing loss among young adults worldwide. Within a global effort to develop standards for safe listening in entertainment venues, this study aims at identifying modifiable factors (knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs), which can hinder or facilitate the acceptance of safe listening measures in public venues among young venue-goers. Methods: An online questionnaire was developed inspired by the Health Belief Model. It was divided into five sections: (i) socio-demographics (ii) listening habits, (iii) experiences with loud music, (iv) knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs, and (v) willingness to change. Participants were recruited through social media. Results: 2264 individuals aged 16–35 completed the questionnaire. Most visited entertainment venues relatively infrequently, with the majority of them only visiting once per month or less. Nevertheless, most reported having experienced the negative consequences of listening to loud music. Overall, most people were favorable towards preventive measures, especially quiet areas. Conclusion: Our findings stress the urge to address the issue of safe listening in public venues and support an approach based on the introduction of standards. Moreover, they provide us with information on key factors to be considered when introducing and communicating preventive measures in public entertainment venues

Association between cancer literacy and cancer-related behaviour: evidence from Ticino, Switzerland

<em>Background</em>. This paper details the role of different dimensions of health literacy in the relationship between health literacy and cancer-related health behaviours. In particular, <em>Cancer Literacy</em> is studied as an exemplar of a dimension of health literacy beyond basic reading and writing skills. The link between functional health literacy, Cancer Literacy and cancer-related health behaviours is investigated in a sample of Ticino (Switzerland) residents (n=639). <br /><em>Design and methods.</em> Detailed data is collected about respondents’ functional health literacy, <em>Cancer Literacy</em>, cancer information seeking behaviour, engagement in cancer preventive behaviours, participation to cancer screenings, and intention to adhere to current screening recommendations. <br /><em>Results</em>. Results confirm the added value of <em>Cancer Literacy</em> – compared to functional health literacy – in explaining people’s cancer information seeking behaviour, their participation to several cancer screenings and their screening intention, underscoring the need to take into account dimensions of health literacy beyond basic functional skills. <br /><em>Conclusions</em>. From a public health perspective, findings provide further evidence on the importance of adapting informational and educational communication intervention designed to improve cancer prevention and screening to different audiences

Where else would i look for it? A five-country qualitative study on purposes, strategies, and consequences of online health information seeking

Background. Online health information (OHI) is widely available and consulted by many people in Western countries to gain health advice. The main goal of the present study is to provide a detailed account of the experiences among people from various demographic backgrounds living in high-income countries, who have used OHI. Design and methods. Thematic analysis of 165 qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted among OHI users residing in Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland was performed. Results. The lived experience of people using OHI seem not to differ across countries. The interviews show that searches for OHI are motivated from curiosity, sharing of experiences, or affirmation for actions already taken. Most people find it difficult to appraise the information, leading them to cross-check sources or discuss OHI with others. OHI seems to impact mostly some specific types of health behaviors, such as changes in diet or physical activity, while it only plays a complementary role for more serious health concerns. Participants often check OHI before seeing their GP, but are reluctant to discuss online content with health care personnel due to expected negative reception. Conclusions. This study adds to the body of knowledge on eHealth literacy by demonstrating how OHI affects overall health behavior, strengthens patients\u27 ability to understand, live with, and prepare themselves for diverse health challenges. The increasing digitalization of health communication and health care calls for further research on digital divides and patient-professional relations. Health care professionals should acknowledge OHI seeking and engage in discussions with patients to enable them to appreciate OHI, and to support shared decision making in health care. The professionals can utilize patient\u27s desire to learn as a resource for health prevention, promotion or treatment, and empowerment

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Comparing the quality of pro- and anti-vaccination online information: a content analysis of vaccination-related webpages

Comparing the Quality of Pro- and Anti-Vaccination Online Information: A Content Analysis of Vaccination-Related Webpages.pdf. (DOCX 83 kb

Mobile Health Self-management Support for Spinal Cord Injury: Systematic Literature Review

BackgroundSelf-management plays a critical role in maintaining and improving the health of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite their potential, existing mobile health (mHealth) self-management support (SMS) tools for SCI have not been comprehensively described in terms of their characteristics and approaches. It is important to have an overview of these tools to know how best to select, further develop, and improve them. ObjectiveThe objective of this systematic literature review was to identify mHealth SMS tools for SCI and summarize their characteristics and approaches to offering SMS. MethodsA systematic review of the literature published between January 2010 and March 2022 was conducted across 8 bibliographic databases. The data synthesis was guided by the self-management task taxonomy by Corbin and Strauss, the self-management skill taxonomy by Lorig and Holman, and the Practical Reviews in Self-Management Support taxonomy. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) standards guided the reporting. ResultsA total of 24 publications reporting on 19 mHealth SMS tools for SCI were included. These tools were introduced from 2015 onward and used various mHealth technologies and multimedia formats to provide SMS using 9 methods identified by the Practical Reviews in Self-Management Support taxonomy (eg, social support and lifestyle advice and support). The identified tools focused on common SCI self-management areas (eg, bowel, bladder, and pain management) and overlooked areas such as sexual dysfunction problems and environmental problems, including barriers in the built environment. Most tools (12/19, 63%) unexpectedly supported a single self-management task instead of all 3 tasks (ie, medical, role, and emotional management), and emotional management tasks had very little support. All self-management skills (eg, problem-solving, decision-making, and action planning) had coverage, but a single tool addressed resource use. The identified mHealth SMS tools were similar in terms of number, introduction period, geographical distribution, and technical sophistication compared with SMS tools for other chronic conditions. ConclusionsThis systematic literature review provides one of the first descriptions of mHealth SMS tools for SCI in terms of their characteristics and approaches to offering SMS. This study’s findings highlight a need for increased coverage of key SMS for SCI components; adopting comparable usability, user experience, and accessibility evaluation methods; and related research to provide more detailed reporting. Future research should consider other data sources such as app stores and technology-centric bibliographic databases to complement this compilation by identifying other possibly overlooked mHealth SMS tools. A consideration of this study’s findings is expected to support the selection, development, and improvement of mHealth SMS tools for SCI