The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill has leading programs in journalism and mass communication, public health, information and library science, psychology and allied fields that are working together to build a new science of health communication. The Interdisciplinary Health Communication (IHC) initiative at UNC fosters synergy among these disciplines that makes this a uniquely interdisciplinary place to conduct research and receive graduate training in health communication. 

We offer two programs:

 Master of Arts in Mass Communication

The MA IHC master’s track offers a broadened program to include the study of how to effectively communicate with diverse audiences about health issues. Students will learn about the possibilities of traditional as well as electronic forms of media and the psychology of persuasion.

The program includes a core of 18 credits in journalism & mass communication and 9 credits in information science, psychology and public health. The track also includes a specialization in information science, public health, medical & science journalism or social marketing. Each student will complete a project or thesis on a health communication topic.

 Interdisciplinary Health Communication Certificate

Our Certificate in Interdisciplinary Health Communication provides residential graduate students the opportunity to receive specialized training in health communication. The Certificate prepares students to use theory-informed health communication strategies in applied practice, academic, and research settings.

Students select one of two specialized tracks:
The psychological processes track focuses on how health communication leads people to change their health behaviors.

The integrated communication strategies track focuses on how to create and deliver health communication messages and interventions through interpersonal communication, print media, and electronic media.

Students complete three graduate level courses (three credits each) participate in a year-long colloquia series on emerging issues in health communication, and receive guidance on conducting health communication research for their theses or dissertations.

Students in both the master’s and certificate programs write for and manage a year around blog , upstreamdownstream,  on current and emerging issues in interdisciplinary health communication.

Faculty

Graduate Faculty involved in Health Communication Research

Over 25 affiliated scholars teach or conduct research on health communication. For a comprehensive faculty list, click here.

IHC academic committee:

•  Seth M. Noar: representative for students from School of Journalism and Mass Communication

•  Deborah Tate: representative for students from the School of Public Health

• Barbara Wildemuth: representative for students from the School of Information and Library Science

Courses

For descriptions of the IHC master’s track courses, click here. For the IHC Certificate required courses, click here. For courses required for the psychological processes track, click here. For courses required for the integrated communication strategies track, click here.
 
List of courses (by discipline)
 
Epidemiology
            Principles of Epidemiology
 
Health Behavior/ Health Education
            Development of health promotion and disease prevention intervention
            eHealth
            Social and behavioral foundations of health education
            Social psychological theories of individual health behavior
 
Information and Library Sciences
            Consumer health information
            Health sciences and information
            Human information interaction
            Human-computer interaction
            System analysis
            User interface design
            User perspectives in information systems and services
            Web development
 
Journalism and Mass Communication
            Concepts of marketing
            Crisis communication
            Integrated marketing communications campaign planning
            Interdisciplinary health communication colloquium
            Interdisciplinary health communication seminar
            Mass communication law
            Mass communication research methods
            Medical journalism
            Medical reporting for the electronic media
            Multimedia storytelling graduate seminar
            Process and effects of mass communication
            Psychology of human-computer interaction
            Public relations foundations
            Science documentary television
            Seminar in communication for social change
            Seminar in public relations 
            Social marketing campaigns
            Theories of mass communication
 
Nutrition
            Dietary change interventions
 
Psychology
            Attitude change
            Attitudes seminar
            Health psychology
            Seminar in clinical health psychology
 
Public Health
            Advanced qualitative research methods
            Communication for Health-related Decision making
            Patient advocacy
            Theoretical foundations

Research

Student Authored or Co-Authored Publications in 2010 and 2011

Allicock, M., Ko, L.K., van der Sterren, E., Valle, C.G., Campbell, M.K., & Carr, C. (2010). Pilot weight control intervention among US veterans to promote diets high in fruits and vegetables. Prev Med 51:279-281.

Allicock, M., Campbell, M.K., Valle, C.G., Barlow, J.N., Carr, C., Meier, A., & Gizlice, Z. (2010). Evaluating the implementation of peer counseling in a church-based dietary intervention for African Americans. Patient Educ Couns 81:37-42.

Cates, J.R., Shafer, A., Diehl, S.J., & Deal, A. (2011). Evaluating a county-sponsored social marketing campaign to increase mothers’ initiation of HPV vaccine for their pre-teen daughters in a primarily rural area. Social Marketing Quarterly, 17(1), 4-26.

Cates, J.R., Shafer, A., Dillman Carpentier, F., Reiter, P.L., Brewer, N.T., McRee, A., & Smith, J.S. (2010). How parents hear about HPV vaccine: Implications for uptake. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47, 309-311.

Patel, S. & Shafer, A., Zucker, N.L., & Bulik, C.M. (2011). Caring for yourself is caring for your child: Helping parents of children with eating disorders receive health care for themselves. In M. Brann (Ed.), Contemporary case studies in health communication: Theoretical and applied approaches. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt.

Reiter, P.L., Cates, J.R., McRee, A., Gottlieb, S., Shafer, A., Smith, J.S., & Brewer, N.T. (2010). Statewide HPV vaccine initiation among adolescent females in North Carolina. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 37(9), 549-556.

Shafer, A., Cates, J.R., Diehl, S.J., & Hartmann, M. (In press). Asking Mom: Formative research for an HPV vaccine campaign targeting mothers of adolescent girls. Journal of Health Communication.

Tzeng, J.P., Mayer, D., Richman, A.R., Lipkus, I., Han, P.K., Reitel, V., Valle, C.G., Carey, L.A., & Brewer, N.T. (2010). Women’s experiences with genomic testing for breast cancer recurrence risk. Cancer 116:1992-2000.

Weberling, B. (2010, Fall). Mobilizing Disaster Relief: U.S. Media  Coverage and Public Response to the Tsunami and Pakistan Earthquake.  International Communication Research Journal.

Weberling, B. (2010). Celebrity & Charity: A Historical Case Study of  Danny Thomas and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 1962-1991.  PRism, 7(2): Special Issue on Nonprofit Organization Relationships.  Available online at http://www.prismjournal.org/nonprofit_issue.html.

Zucker, N.L., Loeb, K.L., Patel, S., & Shafer, A. (2011). Parent Groups in the Treatment of Eating Disorders. In D.L. Grange and J. Lock (Eds.), Eating disorders in children and adolescents: A clinical handbook. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Student Authored or Co-Authored Conference Presentations in 2010 and 2011

Cates, J.R., Ortiz, R., Shafer, A., & Coyne-Beasley, T. (2011). HPV vaccine for males: Designing messages to motivate parents to vaccinate their pre-teen sons. DC Health Communication Conference, Washington, DC.

Cates, J.R., Shafer, A., Diehl, S.J., & Deal, A. (2010). Evaluating a county-initiated social marketing campaign to increase uptake of the HPV vaccine among mothers of 11-12 year old girls. Kentucky Health Communication Conference, Lexington, KY.

El-Toukhy, S. (2010). Evaluating an environmental mass media campaign in Egypt. Presented to the Environmental Communication Division, National Communication Association National Conference, San Francisco, California.

El-Toukhy, S. (2010). Heuristics and biases in health decision making: A literature review. Presented to the National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media, Atlanta, Georgia.

El-Toukhy, S. (2010). Unrealistic optimism: A systematic review of perceptions of health risks. Presented to the ComSHER Interest group, Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication National Conference, Denver, Colorado.

El-Toukhy, S., & Brown, J. (2010). Exposure to Western television and perceptions of romantic relationships in Egypt. Presented to the Mass Communication Division, International Communication Association National Conference, Singapore.

Jankowski, S.M., Major, L.H. & Myrick, J.G. (2011). Framing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Look at Twenty Years of Television News Coverage. Research paper accepted for presentation at the 2011 International Communication Association Conference, Boston, MA.

Kaye, L., Valle, C., Campbell, M.K. (2011) Coping with cancer diagnosis and treatment: A qualitative comparison of African American and white cancer survivors in North Carolina. Accepted as a Rapid Communication poster presentation at 32nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Washington, DC.

Lee, S., El-Toukhy, S., Weberling, B., & Riffe, D. (2011). Relating media exposure, attention, and usefulness to risk perception: Exploring the role of information sufficiency and personal efficacy. Accepted for presentation to the Mass Communication Division, International Communication Association National Conference, Boston, Massachusetts.

Myers, A.E., Willoughby, J.F., Myrick, J.G., Brown, J., McGill, T., Mehen, L., Cates, J.R., Brown, J.D. (2011). Upstream: Promoting Interactive, Interdisciplinary Health Communication Scholarship via Internet Blog. Presentation Abstract: 2011 D.C. Health Communication Conference, George Mason University.

Myrick, J.G., Major. L.H. & Jankowski, S.M. (2010). Who Gets to Tell the Story? Sources and Frames in Television News Stories from 1990-2008 about Anxiety and Depression. Research paper presented to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 National Conference on Health Communications, Marketing and Media, Atlanta, Georgia.

Ortiz, R., Goetschius, A., Kruse, K., Hennink-Kaminski, H. (2010). Getting them off the fence!: Developing a social marketing campaign to encourage uptake of H1N1 vaccine among 18- to 24-year-olds in North Carolina. Presented at the National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media, Atlanta, GA.

Ortiz, R., Scull, T., Brown, J.D., Shafer, A., Kupersmidt, J., & Suellentrop, K. (2011). 16 and pregnant: The effects of watching and discussing a reality television drama about the consequences of teen pregnancy. Health Communication Division, International Communication Association Conference, Boston, MA.

Patel, S. & Shafer, A. (2010). Caring for yourself is caring for your child: Developing a theory-based health communication intervention for parents of children with eating disorders. Kentucky Health Communication Conference, Lexington, KY.

Patel, S. & Shafer, A. (2011). Understanding the effects of message framing and approach/avoidance tendencies on promoting coping behaviors for caregivers. Health Communication Division, International Communication Association Conference, Boston, MA.

Patel, S., Weberling, B. (2011). Health Nonprofits Online: The Use of Frames and Stewardship Strategies to Increase Involvement. Paper accepted for presentation to the Public Relations Division,  International Communication Association Annual Conference, Boston, MA.

Shafer, A., Ortiz, R., Scull, T.M., Kupersmidt, J.B., & Brown, J.D. (2011). At-risk adolescents’ media diets and outcome expectancies influence intentions to refrain from sex and avoid pregnancy. Society for Research in Child Development Conference, Montreal, Quebec.

Valle, C.G., Campbell, M.K., Mayer, D.K., Cai, J., Allicock, M., & Tate, D.F. (2011). Physical Activity in Young Adults: A Signal Detection Analysis of Health Information National Trends Survey 2007 Data. Accepted as a poster presentation at 32nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Washington, DC.

Valle, C.G., Campbell, M.K., Sherwood, E., Manning, M., & Gellin, M. (2010). Supportive care needs and survivorship programming preferences of North Carolina cancer survivors. Poster presentation at Fifth Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference: Recovery and Beyond, Washington, DC.

Valle, C.G., Campbell, M.K., Sherwood, E., Manning, M., & Gellin, M. (2010). Information and support needs of adult cancer patients in North Carolina: Implications for a comprehensive cancer center survivorship program. Poster presentation at Society of Behavioral Medicine 31st Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, Seattle, WA.

Weberling, B. (2010). Framing Breast Cancer: Building an Agenda through Online Advocacy and Fundraising. Paper presented to the Public Relations Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

Weberling, B. (2010). Health Communication: Education & Employment Outlook for a Growing Field. Paper presented at the 2010 Conference on Health Communication at The University of Kentucky,  Lexington, KY.

Weberling, B. (2010). Media Advocacy and Health Policy: News Framing of Autism and the Combating Autism Act. Paper presented to the Communicating Science, Health, Environment & Risk (ComSHER) Division,  Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual  Conference, Denver, CO. Eason Top Student Paper Prize Winner.

Weberling, B. (2010). Understanding AIDS: The Politics of Public Health and the Surgeon General's Mass Communication Efforts in  the 1980s. Paper presented to the Public Relations Division, National Communication Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Willoughby,  J.F. & Hust, S.J.T. (2011). Strategic ambiguity: The effects of viewing ambiguous advertisements on college students. To be presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Health Communication Division, Boston, Massachusetts.

Selected research publications from IHC affiliated scholars in 2011

Brown JD, Bobkowski P. Older and Newer Media: Patterns of Use and Effects on Adolescents’ Health and Well-Being. Journal of Research on Adolescence – A Decade Review. 2011;21(1):95-113.

Donald W. Helme, Seth M. Noar, Suzanne Allard, Rick S. Zimmerman, Philip Palmgreen & Karen J. McClanahan, 2011) In-Depth Investigation of Interpersonal Discussions in Response to a Safer Sex Mass Media Campaign. Health Communication 26:4, pages 366-378.

Tate DF (2011). A series of studies examining Internet treatment of obesity to inform Internet interventions for substance use and misuse. Subst Use Misuse, 46(1):57-65.

Gabriele JM, Carpenter BD, Tate DF, Fisher EB (2011). Directive and nondirective e-coach support for weight loss in overweight adults. Ann Behav Med., 41(2):252-63.

Reiter PL, McRee AL, Kadis JA, Brewer NT (2011). HPV vaccine and adolescent males. Vaccine, 5;29(34):5595-602.

Salz T, Brewer NT (2011). Direct-to-consumer genomewide profiling. N Engl J Med., 26;364(21):2074.

Robitz R, Gottlieb SL, De Rosa CJ, Guerry SL, Liddon N, Zaidi A, Walker S, Smith JS, Brewer NT, Markowitz LE (2011). Parent attitudes about school requirements for human papillomavirus vaccine in high-risk communities of Los Angeles, California. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev., 20(7):1421-9.

Schuler CL, Reiter PL, Smith JS, Brewer NT (2011). Human papillomavirus vaccine and behavioural disinhibition. Sex Transm Infect., 87(4):349-53.

McRee AL, Reiter PL, Gottlieb SL, Brewer NT (2011). Mother-daughter communication about HPV vaccine. J Adolesc Health., 48(3):314-7.

Kadis JA, McRee AL, Gottlieb SL, Lee MR, Reiter PL, Dittus PJ, Brewer NT (2011). Mothers' support for voluntary provision of HPV vaccine in schools. Vaccine, 21;29(14):2542-7.

Reiter PL, McRee AL, Gottlieb SL, Brewer NT (2011). Correlates of receiving recommended adolescent vaccines among adolescent females in North Carolina. Hum Vaccin., 1;7(1):67-73.

Gilbert PA, Brewer NT, Reiter PL (2011). Association of human papillomavirus-related knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs with HIV status: a national study of gay men. J Low Genit Tract Dis., 15(2):83-8.

Ko LK, Campbell MK, Lewis MA, Earp JA, Devellis B (2011). Information processes mediate the effect of a health communication intervention on fruit and vegetable consumption. J Health Commun.,16(3):282-99.

van Keulen HM, Mesters I, Ausems M, van Breukelen G, Campbell M, Resnicow K, Brug J, de Vries H (2011). Tailored print communication and telephone motivational interviewing are equally successful in improving multiple lifestyle behaviors in a randomized controlled trial. Ann Behav Med., 41(1):104-18.

Cates JR, Shafer A, Diehl SJ, Deal AM (2011). Evaluating a County-Sponsored Social Marketing Campaign to Increase Mothers' Initiation of HPV Vaccine for their Pre-teen Daughters in a Primarily Rural Area. Soc Mar Q., 17(1):4-26.

Shafer A, Cates JR, Diehl SJ, Hartmann M (2011). Asking Mom: Formative Research for an HPV Vaccine Campaign Targeting Mothers of Adolescent Girls. J Health Commun.

DeWalt DA, Broucksou KA, Hawk V, Brach C, Hink A, Rudd R, Callahan L (2011). Developing and testing the health literacy universal precautions toolkit. Nurs Outlook, 59(2):85-94.

Macabasco-O'Connell A, Dewalt DA, Broucksou KA, Hawk V, Baker DW, Schillinger D, Ruo B, Bibbins-Domingo K, Holmes GM, Erman B, Weinberger M, Pignone M (2011). Relationship between literacy, knowledge, self-care behaviors, and heart failure-related quality of life among patients with heart failure. J Gen Intern Med., 26(9):979-86.

Ferguson B, Lowman SG, DeWalt DA (2011). Assessing literacy in clinical and community settings: the patient perspective. J Health Commun., 16(2):124-34.

Chariyeva Z, Golin CE, Earp JA, Suchindran C (2011). Does motivational interviewing counseling time influence HIV-positive persons' self-efficacy to practice safer sex? Patient Educ Couns.

Mayer DK, Travers D, Wyss A, Leak A, Waller A (2011). Why do patients with cancer visit emergency departments? Results of a 2008 population study in North Carolina. J Clin Oncol., 29(19):2683-8.

Mayer DK (2011). Advanced care planning conversations. Clin J Oncol Nurs., 15(2):117-8.

Miller DP Jr, Spangler JG, Case LD, Goff DC Jr, Singh S, Pignone MP (2011). Effectiveness of a web-based colorectal cancer screening patient decision aid a randomized controlled trial in a mixed-literacy population. Am J Prev Med., 40(6):608-15.

Ribisl KM (2011). Research Gaps Related to Tobacco Product Marketing and Sales in the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Nicotine Tob Res.

Ayers JW, Ribisl KM, Brownstein JS (2011). Tracking the rise in popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (electronic cigarettes) using search query surveillance. Am J Prev Med., 40(4):448-53.

Lyons EJ, Tate DF, Ward DS, Bowling JM, Ribisl KM, Kalyararaman S (2011). Energy Expenditure and Enjoyment during Video Game Play: Differences by Game Type. Med Sci Sports Exerc.

Ribisl KM, Williams RS, Gizlice Z, Herring AH (2011). Effectiveness of state and federal government agreements with major credit card and shipping companies to block illegal Internet cigarette sales. PLoS One., 6(2):e16754.

Luke DA, Ribisl KM, Smith C, Sorg AA (2011). Family Smoking Prevention And Tobacco Control Act: banning outdoor tobacco advertising near schools and playgrounds. Am J Prev Med., 40(3):295-302.

Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K (2011). Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review. Ann Intern Med., 155(2):97-107.

Behrend L, Maymani H, Diehl M, Gizlice Z, Cai J, Sheridan SL (2011). Patient-physician agreement on the content of CHD prevention discussions. Health Expect., 14 Suppl 1:58-72.

Sleath B, Carpenter DM, Ayala GX, Williams D, Davis S, Tudor G, Yeatts K, Gillette C (2011). Provider Discussion, Education, and Question-Asking about Control Medications during Pediatric Asthma Visits. Int J Pediatr., 212160.

Washington D, Yeatts K, Sleath B, Ayala GX, Gillette C, Williams D, Davis S, Tudor G (2011). Communication and education about triggers and environmental control strategies during pediatric asthma visits. Patient Educ Couns.

Li J, Linnan L, Finkelstein EA, Tate DF, Naseer C, Evenson KR (2011). Knowledge and perceptions among overweight and obese employees about lifestyle-related health benefit changes. N C Med J., 72(3):183-90.

Contact

IHC academic committee
363 Carroll Hall
Campus Box 3365
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365
Office phone: (919) 962-4075
Fax: (919) 962-0620
E-mail: ihc@unc.edu
 
Websites
Interdisciplinary health communication at UNC-Chapel Hill
upstreamdownstream
 
Participating academic units
 
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Gillings School of Global Public Health
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education
Department of Nutrition
School of Information and Library Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Psychology