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Media Psychology and Health Communication
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Media Psychology and Health Communication

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 15709

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Juan José Igartua Perosanz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
Interests: media psychology; processes and media effects; narrative persuasion; media entertainment; health communication; news frames and framing effect; media and immigration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Health communication is an academic discipline and a professional field that uses technology and the media to promote healthy lifestyles through the transmission of diverse types of messages. These interventions are intended to change behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and social norms in certain audiences or social segments, in order to increase the quality of life of people at an individual or community level. Undoubtedly, research in health communication has recently been closely linked to research in media psychology. Media psychology analyzes the interaction between human beings and content, messages and technologies and uses the lens of psychology to study and understand the complex relations between humans and the evolving digital environment in which they live. In fact, much of the theory that is applied in health communication is grounded on media psychology research (social cognitive theory, narrative persuasion research, framing, fear appeals, entertainment–education, etc.). The development of campaigns and media interventions and the design of health communication messages based on solid theoretical reflections are crucial elements to maintain and improve people’s quality of life. Furthermore, this is much more important after having experienced a pandemic (the COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic) that has forced people to modify their behavior in many areas of their life (personal, family, work, leisure). This Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on the current state of knowledge on the links between media psychology and health communication. Research papers dealing with new approaches to health communication from a media psychology point of view are welcome for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Juan José Igartua Perosanz
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • narrative persuasion
  • framing
  • fear appeals
  • positive emotions
  • entertainment–education
  • public service announcements (PSAs)
  • restorative narratives
  • exergames
  • smartphone applications
  • health message tailoring
  • COVID-19 pandemic
  • vaccine hesitancy
  • cancer prevention
  • smoking prevention
  • diabetes prevention
  • organ donation
  • alcohol consumption prevention
  • physical activity promotion

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2458 KiB  
Article
A Content Analysis of Persuasive Appeals Used in Media Campaigns to Encourage and Discourage Sugary Beverages and Water in the United States
by Vivica I. Kraak, Adrienne Holz, Chelsea L. Woods, Ann R. Whitlow and Nicole Leary
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(14), 6359; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20146359 - 13 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3475
Abstract
The frequent consumption of sugary beverages is associated with many health risks. This study examined how persuasive appeals and graphics were used in different media campaigns to encourage and discourage sugary beverages and water in the United States (U.S.) The investigators developed a [...] Read more.
The frequent consumption of sugary beverages is associated with many health risks. This study examined how persuasive appeals and graphics were used in different media campaigns to encourage and discourage sugary beverages and water in the United States (U.S.) The investigators developed a codebook, protocol and systematic process to conduct a qualitative content analysis for 280 media campaigns organized into a typology with six categories. SPSS version 28.0 was used to analyze rational and emotional appeals (i.e., positive, negative, coactive) for campaign slogans, taglines and graphic images (i.e., symbols, colors, audiences) for 60 unique campaigns across the typology. Results showed that positive emotional appeals were used more to promote sugary beverages in corporate advertising and marketing (64.7%) and social responsibility campaigns (68.8%), and less to encourage water in social marketing campaigns (30%). In contrast, public awareness campaigns used negative emotional appeals (48.1%), and advocacy campaigns combined rational (30%) and emotional positive (50%) and negative appeals (30%). Public policy campaigns used rational (82.6%) and positive emotional appeals (73.9%) to motivate support or opposition for sugary beverage tax legislation. Chi-square analyses assessed the relationships between the U.S. media campaign typology categories and graphic elements that revealed three variables with significant associations between the campaign typology and race/ethnicity (χ2(103) = 32.445, p = 0.039), content (χ2(103) = 70.760, p < 0.001) and product image (χ2(103) = 11.930, p = 0.036). Future research should examine how positive persuasive appeals in text and graphics can promote water to reduce sugary beverage health risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Media Psychology and Health Communication)
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22 pages, 2447 KiB  
Article
“It Happened to Me and It’s Serious”: Conditional Indirect Effects of Infection Severity Narrated in Testimonial Tweets on COVID-19 Prevention
by Juan-José Igartua, Laura Rodríguez-Contreras, Íñigo Guerrero-Martín and Andrea Honorato-Vicente
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(13), 6254; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136254 - 29 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1838
Abstract
The health crisis caused by COVID-19 resulted in societal breakdowns around the world. Our research is based on determining which features of testimonial messages are most relevant in increasing persuasive impact. An online experiment with a 2 (severity infection narrative: low vs. high) [...] Read more.
The health crisis caused by COVID-19 resulted in societal breakdowns around the world. Our research is based on determining which features of testimonial messages are most relevant in increasing persuasive impact. An online experiment with a 2 (severity infection narrative: low vs. high) × 2 (infection target: narrative’s protagonist vs. protagonist’s father) between-subject factorial design was carried out. Young people between 18 and 28 years (N = 278) were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions, where they were asked to read a narrative message in the form of a Twitter thread describing a COVID-19 infection (with mild or severe symptoms) that affected either the protagonist of the message (a 23-year-old young person) or their father. After reading the narrative message, the mediating and dependent variables were evaluated. A message describing a severe COVID-19 infection affecting their protagonist to increase the perception of personal risk increased the persuasive impact through an increase in cognitive elaboration and a reduction in reactance. Our study highlights that creating persuasive messages based on social media targeted at young people that describe a careless behavior resulting in a severe COVID-19 infection can be an appropriate strategy for designing prevention campaigns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Media Psychology and Health Communication)
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14 pages, 385 KiB  
Article
Does Internet Use Promote Subjective Well-Being? Evidence from the Different Age Groups Based on CGSS 2017 Data
by Yurong Yan, Yuying Deng, Juan-José Igartua and Xiagang Song
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2897; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042897 - 7 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2927
Abstract
Mobile Internet technology has developed so rapidly that the Internet has become indispensable in everyday life. There is a continuous debate about the relationship between internet use and subjective well-being. In contrast to observing whether one has Internet access, this paper focuses on [...] Read more.
Mobile Internet technology has developed so rapidly that the Internet has become indispensable in everyday life. There is a continuous debate about the relationship between internet use and subjective well-being. In contrast to observing whether one has Internet access, this paper focuses on three dimensions of Internet usage: frequency of use, online relationship size, and Internet proficiency. Based on the Chinese nationwide data collected in 2017, the results of the ordinary least squares regression model demonstrate that Internet use has a significant positive association with subjective well-being. In addition, this study also discovers that the effect of Internet use on the subjective well-being of individuals of different ages is heterogeneous; middle-aged individuals benefit from more frequent Internet use and larger-scale networks; the young and older adults benefit from organizing communication in groups. The results of this study can provide targeted suggestions for improving the subjective well-being of different age groups in Internet use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Media Psychology and Health Communication)
17 pages, 436 KiB  
Article
Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the 25-Item Hikikomori Questionnaire for Adolescents
by Simone Amendola, Fabio Presaghi, Alan Robert Teo and Rita Cerutti
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10408; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610408 - 21 Aug 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3928
Abstract
Hikikomori is a form of social withdrawal that is commonly described as having an onset during adolescence, a life stage when other psychiatric problems can also emerge. This study aimed to adapt the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire (HQ-25) for the Italian adolescent population, examining [...] Read more.
Hikikomori is a form of social withdrawal that is commonly described as having an onset during adolescence, a life stage when other psychiatric problems can also emerge. This study aimed to adapt the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire (HQ-25) for the Italian adolescent population, examining its psychometric properties; associations between hikikomori and psychoticism, depression, anxiety, problematic internet use (PIU), psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), to confirm convergent validity of the HQ-25; and the interaction effect between symptoms of hikikomori and PIU in predicting PLEs. Two-hundred and twenty-one adolescents participated in the study. Measures included the HQ-25, the Psychoticism subscale of the Personality Inventory for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the Depression and Anxiety subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Internet Disorder Scale, and the Brief Prodromal Questionnaire. Data showed a satisfactory fit for a three-factor model for the HQ-25 that is consistent with the original study on the HQ-25. Three factors (socialization, isolation, and emotional support) were associated with psychopathology measures. Six participants reported lifetime history of hikikomori. Symptoms of hikikomori and PIU did not interact in predicting PLEs. This is the first study to validate the HQ-25 in a population of adolescents. Findings provide initial evidence of the adequate psychometric properties of the Italian version of the HQ-25 for adolescents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Media Psychology and Health Communication)
13 pages, 1507 KiB  
Article
Anxiety Disorder and Smoking Behavior: The Moderating Effects of Entertainment and Informational Television Viewing
by Juwon Hwang and Porismita Borah
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9160; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159160 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1894
Abstract
Smoking is more common among individuals with mental health issues than those who do not have mental illnesses. In particular, among individuals with an anxiety disorder, a high prevalence of smoking has been found. Mood adjustment theory suggests that individuals with negative moods [...] Read more.
Smoking is more common among individuals with mental health issues than those who do not have mental illnesses. In particular, among individuals with an anxiety disorder, a high prevalence of smoking has been found. Mood adjustment theory suggests that individuals with negative moods could adjust their moods depending on the type of television they watched. To understand this relationship better, we aim to examine how different television viewing can moderate the tendency of smoking behavior for individuals with an anxiety disorder. We used national U.S. survey data and concepts from the mood adjustment theory to answer our research questions. Our main contributions were to: (1) extend the mood adjustment theory by focusing on the association between a diagnosed mental disorder (i.e., anxiety) and risky behavior (i.e., smoking), and (2) examine the nuances of television genres by dividing entertainment television into excitement-valenced and ambiguously-valenced entertainment programs, along with information programs. The primary findings show that individuals with an anxiety disorder were more likely to smoke and this association was significantly attenuated when they watched cartoons, sports, and health information programs, but the positive association between an anxiety disorder and the extent of smoking was intensified when they watched drama, music, sci-fi, and television news. Patients with an anxiety disorder may take advantage of excitement-valenced entertainment programs and health-related information but need to be cautious in choosing ambiguously-valenced entertainment programs and news. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Media Psychology and Health Communication)
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