Strategic use of communication to market cancer prevention and control to vulnerable populations

Abstract

There are significant challenges to communicating relevant cancer prevention and control information to health care consumers due both to the complexities of the health information to be communicated and the complexities of health communication, especially with vulnerable populations. The need for effective communication about cancer risks, early detection, prevention, care, and survivorship is particularly acute, yet also tremendously complex, for reaching vulnerable populations, those groups of people who are most likely to suffer significantly higher levels of morbidity and mortality from cancers than other segments of the population. These vulnerable populations, typically the poorest, lowest educated, and most disenfranchised members of modern society, are heir to serious cancer-related health disparities. Vulnerable populations often have health literacy difficulties, cultural barriers, and economic challenges to accessing and making sense of relevant health information. This paper examines these challenges to communicating relevant information to vulnerable populations and suggests strategies for effectively using different communication media for marketing cancer prevention and control to reduce health disparities and promote public health.

Addressing resistance to adopting relevant health promotion recommendations with strategic health communication

“…These problems are fostered by the spread of widespread health misinformation, flagging levels of public trust in science across society, and active public resistance to health promotion mandates [2,[4][5][6]. Effective health communication is needed to help members of the public, especially those who are at greatest risk for poor health outcomes (such as elderly, homeless, disenfranchised, disabled, immigrant, and those suffering from multiple co-morbidities) to recognize the seriousness and salience of public health threats, engage in recommended actions to minimize the likelihood of contracting these health problems, and to respond effectively when they encounter serious health risks [5][6][7][8][9].…”

“…Effective dissemination of relevant and motivating health information can provide needed guidance for helping increase understanding and guide effective responses to many difficult health risk issues that cut across the continuum of care, including enhancing responses to guide prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care [13][14][15]. For example, relevant health information can guide effective disease prevention by increasing public awareness about and participation in engaging in relevant lifestyle behaviors (involving personal actions concerning dietary practices, exercise routines, participating in screening and vaccination services, following safer sexual practices, and avoiding health risks) to help promote public health and wellbeing [16][17][18].…”

“…To be most effective, it is wise to plan multiple message strategies for reaching and influencing vulnerable audiences with relevant health information, utilizing the communication principles of redundancy and reinforcement to enhance message exposure and impact [7,8]. Multiple messages can help to capture audience attention, reinforce message content, and illustrate key health education concepts.…”