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MASS COMMUNICATION

PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF RADIO BROADCAST PROGRAMMES ON HEALTH MATTERS

PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF RADIO BROADCAST PROGRAMMES ON HEALTH MATTERS

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PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF RADIO BROADCAST PROGRAMMES ON HEALTH MATTERS

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Meeting unique communication demands is crucial to society’s long-term survival. These needs, according to Baran S. and Davis D. (2012), existed long before Johann Gutenberg produced the printing press and Samuel Morse invented the electric telegraph.

However, there are times when the functions of mass communication are undesirable in the eyes of society or the individual. Broadcast media such as radio and television perform a variety of functions for society, including surveillance, interpretation, connection, value transfer, socialisation, entertainment, and health information sharing.

Radio is an audio method for communicating with a large audience. Radio is a way of sending messages using electrical waves. To put it another way, sound can be sent and received by these waves.

Ajibade, O., and Alabi, S. (2017) describe “radio” as “the process of delivering and receiving communications via air utilising electromagnetic waves.” It also refers to the act of broadcasting programmes so that others can listen to them.

Radio is one of the most important mediums of communication, according to Ajibade, O. et al. (2017). Radio allows people to send spoken words, music, and other communication signals to anyone on the earth.

Radio broadcasts today feature music, news, interviews, explanations of sporting events, and ads. People listen to their vehicle radios on their route to work and during their free time to hear their favourite radio programmes.

Radio delivers a variety of news. Aside from broadcasting, radio is utilised by airline pilots, astronauts, construction workers, police officers, sailors, and others in a wide range of fields, including health communication.

Health communication is the study and practice of conveying promotional health information, such as through public health campaigns, health education, and doctor-patient interactions (Dutta-Bergman, M. 2004).

The purpose of disseminating health information is to increase health literacy, which will influence personal health decisions. Health communication refers to the act of broadcasting and delivering health-related information to the general public via radio.

Radio broadcasting is the most effective and convenient way to communicate information and reach an audience, and it has a wider audience than television since it is less expensive and can reach people at home, work, and in their cars.

The public can listen to radio’s primetime hour at any time because it used to broadcast a variety of programmes. The use of radio to deliver health information is particularly advantageous because it reaches a big audience and is inexpensive.

Health practitioners have recognised the benefits of using radio to broadcast health messages and have utilised it to educate listeners about various conditions.

Because “serendipitous learning via radio can serve as a major mode of health information collecting,” producing and airing this type of programming is critical for individuals exposed to health messages (Dutta-Bergman, 2004).

Because radio can swiftly reach people, it has a big impact on their life. The prime time hour of radio broadcast is also handy for listeners, thus it may be a huge success for the radio broadcast and has the potential to affect individual behaviour in health-related topics.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The importance of effectively communicating health messages to the general public has spurred health communicators, educators, and advocates to explore and use social media and other kinds of mass media.

A recent study revealed how people actually interact with health information and how they like to connect with health information. This is because one of the primary objectives of public health is to effectively communicate health information to individuals and communities. Individuals, groups, and communities can all benefit from prompt and accurate communication.

Effective health communication can influence people’s awareness, knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, capacities, and willingness to modify their behaviour.

When developing health education campaigns, health educators and professionals commonly employ a variety of strategies to bridge the gap between actual and desired methods of acquiring critical health information.

In addition to face-to-face programming, health education campaigns usually use television advertising, Internet programmes, radio broadcasts, and public service announcements.

However New technologies have emerged in the last decade, leaving radio underutilised in terms of health education and promotion. Though radio announcements and programmes are still commonly employed in health education campaigns, health communication practitioners and scholars are increasingly emphasising the expanding availability of health information on the Internet.

With the advancement of technology, little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of a community-based health education radio broadcast. Thus, against this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate public perception of radio broadcast programmes on health issues.

1.3 Object of the study

The overarching goal of this study is to investigate public perception of radio broadcasts on health issues. Specifically, the study aimed to

Examine people’s current and preferred methods of receiving health messages, as well as the frequency of radio broadcasts.

Determine whether the radio is an effective tool for increasing health knowledge and intentions to change health behaviour.

Investigate the elements that influence an individual’s chosen radio source of health information.

1.4 Research Questions.

The study is guided by the following research question:

What are the current and preferred techniques for obtaining health messages?

To what extent are health messages disseminated through radio broadcasts?

Is radio an effective way to raise health awareness and intentions to modify health behaviour?

What factors influence an individual’s chosen radio source for health information?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study’s findings would be empirically and practically significant. In practice, it will help to articulate the use of radio broadcasts to share healthcare information and shape community audiences’ health beliefs.

Practically, the study will serve as a document for government and non-governmental organisations, policymakers, and healthcare professionals on the importance of regulating the reliability of health information delivered through radio programmes.

Furthermore, the study’s findings will serve as a resource for mass communication researchers interested in learning about the worldwide healthcare infodemic. Empirically, the study will be useful as a reference for both experts and students interested in furthering their research in a similar topic.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is public perception of health-related radio broadcast shows. The study will compare people’s real and preferred methods of receiving health messages.

It will determine the extent to which health messages are transmitted via radio broadcast. It will determine whether the radio is an effective means of increasing health awareness and intentions to change health behaviour.

It will explore the elements that influence an individual’s chosen radio source of health information. The study is, however, confined to Onitsha residents in Anambra State.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

This research project, like all human endeavours, encountered some obstacles that threatened to derail the study’s conclusion. One of the reasons is that the time given for this assignment was so limited that the researcher was unable to complete it thoroughly.

During data collection, the researcher had to make an extra effort to grasp the respondents’ interview schedules, as several of them were of an unintelligible age. In addition, budgetary and transportation constraints had to be addressed.

Insufficient funding tend to hamper the researcher’s efficiency in accessing important resources, literature, or information, as well as data collecting (internet, questionnaire, interview).

1.8 Definition of Terms

Radio: Radio is an audio technology that transmits messages to a broad audience. Radio refers to the process of sending communications by electrical waves.

Public health behaviour refers to the acts that people take that have an impact on their health. They include acts that promote health, such as eating well and exercising regularly, as well as actions that increase illness risk, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and dangerous sexual behaviour.

Health communication is the study and practice of conveying promoting health information, such as through public health campaigns, health education, and doctor-patient interactions. The goal of communicating health information is to impact personal health decisions by increasing health literacy.

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