VTPEH 6184 - Public Health Practice - Communication

(CU-CEL, CU-ITL, CU-SBY)

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Enrollment limited to: MPH students; graduate students by permission of instructor.

A. Safi.

Public health efforts are usually dependent on people changing their behavior, attitudes, or perceptions. Communication is a key component of facilitating that change. This course helps students understand the influence of communication in public health and how to use theory to identify the barrier to the desired behavior for a particular audience. Students will learn how to conduct an audience analysis in order to develop targeted, relevant, compelling and accessible communication products. Over the term, we will incorporate theory, best practices, design principles, examples, critiques, cultural considerations, and exploration of various communication forms for different audiences and needs. We will address the basics of relevant communication theory, including theories of behavior change and the role of narrative and emotion. We will address issues of health literacy and the association communication strategies needed to advance public health and health equity. We will cover how communication relates to pressing (inter)national public health issues: climate change, sustainability, misinformation, racism and discrimination. With this foundation, students will gain appreciation for communication’s influence on public health and determinants at individual and population levels. Students will assess a range of public health communication efforts and their impacts on audiences, evaluate audience needs, and design a theory-informed public health communication product tailored to a well-defined audience for a specific goal. This product will be developed iteratively through individual and lab-based work over the term. Each student will be assigned a mentor and who has significant experience with behavior change communication and audience analysis. The mentor will provide regular feedback on the progress of the final product. For the final product, working with an external partner is optional, though students who have a relationship with a community partner, clinician and/or researcher may work on a communication-related project for them, subject to approval by course faculty. When possible, faculty will share opportunities for other community-engaged work for students without an existing partner.