According to the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Health Communication Basics”, health communication is the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence a person’s decisions in order to improve/enhance their health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), 2019). The role of health communication have in public health is to influence and empower individuals, populations, and communities to make healthier choices by using components of multiple theories and models in order to promote positive changes in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals (Gregg, Mills, NORC Walsh Center Team, & University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, 2015).In addition to this, the key features and characteristics of health communication are that it has the ability to increase the perception of risks, reinforce positive behaviors in individuals, increase the availability of any support and service needed, and it can empower a person to want to improve their health. In looking at these key features, I think that the most important of them is the ability of health communication to increase the availability of any support and service needed, empower them to improve their health. This is very important because this helps to fulfill the goal of public health which is to improve the health of people and their communities by promoting healthy lifestyles and using research-based strategies in order to shape materials and products found to give them to the intended audience (Gregg, Mills, NORC Walsh Center Team, & University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, 2015).An example of how health communication is applied in public health can be seen through how mass-reach health communication interventions are used to spread tobacco prevention. In this type of communication, the two channels used to communicate the message were the media (tv, radio, magazines, and newspapers) and outdoor media such as the billboard. It was applied in public health by first determining the long term health effects of tobacco, marketing practices used by the tobacco industry by focusing on exposing any deceptive practices of tobacco companies, and then finally communicating to other through the media the harm of depending on tobacco (Gregg, Mills, NORC Walsh Center Team, & University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, 2015).ReferencesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC). (2019). Health communication basics | gateway to health communication | CDC. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/healthbasics/WhatIsHC.htmlGregg, W., Mills, S., NORC Walsh Center Team & University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. (2015). Health communication strategies – rural health promotion and disease prevention toolkit. Retrieved from https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/health-promotion/2/strategies/health-communication
