A Study On The Effect Of Media Contact On Health Behavior Intention

Under the strategic background of "Healthy China",health communication has become an important research topic.The outbreak of the new crown pneumonia in December 2019 swept the world.Comprehensive vaccination of the novel coronavirus pneumonia is one of the effective ways to deal with the crisis.Migrant workers are in a particularly difficult situation during the epidemic,with high job mobility,weak health awareness,low social integration,and it is difficult to vaccinate uniformly.Migrant workers access to information through media is the premise of forming vaccine cognition and attitude.In addition,the individual’s willingness to vaccinate is also affected by internal individual factors and external social factors.Taking the intention of migrant workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as an example,this thesis combines the questionnaire survey method and in-depth interview method to explore the media contact status of migrant workers and the influence path of media contact on their health behavior intention.Combining the KABP Model,Social Ecosystems Theory,the Health Belief Model and Social Norm Theory,a framework of factors influencing health behavior intention was developed,including media contact,health beliefs,and social norms factors.This thesis adopts a broad media perspective,and adds interpersonal communication and organizational communication channels to the mass communication channels that predecessors have paid attention to.During the comprehensive promotion phase of the vaccine from May to the end of June 2021,406 valid questionnaires and 20 in-depth interview samples were recovered.This thesis found the following.Firstly,among the influencing factors of migrant workers’ health behavior intention,perceived benefits has the greatest influence,followed by social norms,media contact has the least influence,and age and monthly income level also have an influence.Perceived benefits and social norms play a mediating role on the path that media contact affects health behavior intention.Secondly,among different communication channels,work organization communication and interpersonal communication among relatives and friends positively affect the health behavior intention of migrant workers.Short video platforms,social media,and television are also important channels for migrant workers to get COVID-19 vaccine information.Thirdly,regarding information on COVID-19 vaccine,migrant workers have higher trust in traditional media,organizational communication,and interpersonal communication channels than online channels.The purpose of media use is mainly to understand social dynamics,socialize and increase health knowledge.Media usage scenarios are personal,time is fixed and fragmented.Migrant workers who are more motivated to use the media and pay attention to vaccine policy and efficacy information are more willing to be vaccinated.Finally,perceived susceptibility,perceived severity,perceived barriers,gender and educational level had no significant effect on migrant workers’ health behavior intention.The findings of this thesis suggest that in promoting public health policies,we should make good use of organizational and interpersonal communication channels,and enhance the credibility of digital media.The content of communication should be guided by policy interests and social norms,and we should use gain framework and emotional strategies to create a favorable public opinion ecology and improve the communication effect of public health policies.