Contemporary American Health Communication Research And Discovery

This study selected the322articles published in the Mainstream American Journal of Health Communication,"Journal of Health Communication:International Perspective", during between2009and June2013, thus we have a relatively comprehensive and clear understanding of contemporary American health communication research. This thesis based on the literature review of the domestic and foreign research situation in the field of health communication to analysis the sample articles from five aspects of the hot topics, the author source, research method, theoretical framework and project support, on the basis of statistical analysis is summarized the regularity and characteristics of contemporary American health communication research, and for our country’s health communication study puts forward some experience can be used for reference.This paper shows the emphasis of contemporary American health communication research mainly focus on the health-based issues, and the composite-based issues which represented by health literacy topic were got the most attention in recent years. The researchers involved in the study of health communication mainly from the medical field, and the medical school or affiliated medical institutions in American universities and colleges has become the most important positions in research activities. In addition, the research methods of health communication are the methods of social sciences, and based mainly on quantitative research. Theoretical foundation is based on the basic theoretical framework of communication and psychology. Moreover, the external support of financial, technical, environmental are mainly depend on broad social base in American health communication. For the health communication research in China, we should combine our own actual and needs and draw lessons from the advanced experience of the United States to promote our health communication study specialized process rapidly.