Assessing (audience) construction hazards: depiction of audience as a variable for comparison of health interventions

Abstract

Current literature regarding health promotion and strategic communication lacks sufficient inquiry regarding the communication assumptions underlying many efforts in that arena and the implications of those assumptions. In addressing that void, the nature of the intended audience could be useful as a variable. Depictions of intended audiences often are apparent in official talk about an intervention, such as in reports or other intervention materials. Examining the language that intervention developers use to characterize intended audience members affords insight regarding the relationships between health professionals and the individuals they seek to engage.