Boodskaptoepaslikheid in mediagebruik vir gesondheidsopvoeding binne 'n multikulturele ontwikkelende gemeenskap

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Messages for health education is a dynamic phenomenon, because it effects thehealth and well-being of people at all levels. However, health education programmesoften fail due to the inappropriateness of media messages. The aim of this researchwas to support or reject the following hypothesis, namely that messages for healtheducation in a multi-cultural developing community show unique characteristics thatdepend on specific principles and practical guidelines for improved message appropriateness.The study was organised in three phases, namely a theoretical study, anempirical study, and the design of a model.The theoretical component covered fundamental concepts in health education, healthpromotion and community development; didactic principles for message appropriatenessin health education; influencing factors in health education in a multi-cultural developingsociety; media applications in health education; as well as communicationaspects of health education. Health education is a component of health promotion,and can be defined as any planned learning experience to facilitate informed decision-making about health and disease.An important finding is that messages for health education must aim a particular targets.Consequently, media messages must be based upon the health educationneeds of individuals, families , and communities. A number of factors determinesuccessful health education, for example the principles of appropriate technology,and the visual literacy as well as socio-cultural background of the target audience.The range of appropriate media for health education includes various low tech audiovisualmedia and high tech electronic mass media, which can be applied to achievelearning objectives in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and skills, as well as changinghealth behaviour. In addition, traditional media such as folk songs and puppetryshould not be ignored in developing countries. A prerequisite for message appropriatenessis that media must be integrated with all teaching and learning activities.This implies that media selection is an important factor in successful healtheducation. In this process the communication codes of each individual medium is adecisive factor, since successful learning is not determined by technology 'as such,but rather by the symbolic code into which a message is dressed.In the empirical study the most important principles for encoding appropriate healtheducation messages were identified and prioritised. The study focused on graphic,photographic, text design and audiovisual program design guidelines, as well asguidelines for socio-cultural contextualisation of messages. The results indicate ageneral high correlation between the viewpoints of media specialists and dieticiansregarding the most important encoding guidelines for the respective mediacategories. The theoretical and empirical phases, combined with an analysis of certain situationalinfluencing factors produced a model for message appropriateness in health educationin a multi-cultural developing community. The model firstly guidelines foreffective health education, effective health communication, appropriate and effectivemedia use, as well as for socio-cultural sensitivity. It also includes guidelines forpractical issues such as appropriate message design and media acculturation. Due tothe fact that appropriate health messages can be distinguished from inappropriatemessages, the model also states guidelines for evaluating message appropriateness.A mechanism was designed to categorise the relative appropriateness of media forhealth education during the evaluation process.Following the model design, a theoretical application was made for health educationmessages on the Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and tuberculosis(TB) in two selected communities in the Western Cape. Possibilities for wider applicationof the model in other multicultural developing communities were indicated.The findings of this research support the initial hypothesis. Specific recommendationshave been formulated and possibilities for further research were formulated.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University