Communicable Health : Roles Society and Media Play in Health Behaviors

Audience: The groups that benefit from the panel are teenagers and adults. All Americans deal with the effects of communicable health, whether at home, in the office or in school. Key Points: Edelman Health Barometer – a 15,000 person, 12-country study – that explore consumer’s expectations and understanding of health, as well as motivators to change and how communication and media impact consumers’ decisions. The Edelman Health Barometer findings show that health is communicable. This simple spread of health education could inspire a group of friends to give up junk food or could coax a teenager into binge drinking due to peer pressure. Communicable health will affect everyone in some way, shape or form. Powerful influencers such as friends and families can also shift behaviors related to tobacco use. According to the Edelman Health Barometer, 43% of people believe that family and friends shape your lifestyle and 36% of people believe friends and family affect your health and nutrition. The study also shows that 31% of people have spent less time with a friend because of their unhealthy behavior such as smoking. Educational Experience: Attendees will be able to recognize how family, friends and the media influence health behaviors, including tobacco use in today’s society. Benefits: Attendees will take away with them a deeper understanding of how health information, whether negative or positive, is spread throughout society. They will also be able to recognize the effects communicable health has in their own lives.