HLTH 431

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Health Communication and Advocacy

Public Health College of Life Sciences

Course Description

This course will study applied health communication strategies that inform individual and community decision-making aimed at enhancing health. It also embeds the role of advocacy by incorporating social networking and mobilization, interpersonal communication and negotiation, as well as the use of earned media and social platforms for generating public discourse.

When Taught

Fall and Winter

Min

3

Fixed/Max

3

Fixed

3

Fixed

0

Other Prerequisites

HLTH 100, HLTH 210. Majors only.

Title

1. Communication skill development involving peer feedback

Learning Outcome

Enhance professional writing skills for audiences relevant to public health by learning new tools and communication strategies (interpersonal communication, mass media, new media, and team-building skills with linguistic and cultural proficiency), and by listening, reflection and data gathering, and both receiving and providing peer feedback.

Title

2. Promote appropriate communication

Learning Outcome

Select communication approaches for disseminating public health data and information, including social media, technology, modern mass media and community gatherings, to influence stakeholders, policy makers and their constituents on issues of public health importance.

Title

3. Audience sensitivity and Discipleship

Learning Outcome

Reflect personal interests and professional plans to be sensitive to the views of others, especially audiences most affected by a problem, by learning how people think, feel and act as a result of a communicated product or experience.

Title

4. Advocate for policy or environmental change

Learning Outcome

Identify relevant constituencies and appropriate advocacy strategies to influence decision makers regarding health-related policies, regulations, laws, or rules at organizational and community levels using health communication tools.

Title

5. Advocacy experience

Learning Outcome

Identify advocacy practices, including framing health issues, to advocate for policy change in compliance with local, state, and/or federal policies and procedure.