Identifying the gaps of health communication research: A systematic review

Abstract

The Indian scripture Upanishad says, "Shariramadyam Khalu Dharma Saadhanam", means the physical body is the base and medium for all good actions. But due to the massive industrialization, over dependency on technology, sedentary lifestyles, worst food habits and work-life imbalance the physical body of human being is losing its vigor. As a result the deteriorating health has become a major concern for most of the developed, under developed and developing countries. All the medical sciences professional, doctors and health professionals are talking about the drugs-based solutions, but health communicators talk about preventive measures and precautionary approaches. The ever-changing socio-cultural dynamics is directly or indirectly affect the health-related issues in these countries. Particularly in India, preventive health communication strategies remain ignored, when it comes to awareness and extension education. In such cases, media supported health communication strategies are highly recommendable to achieve the goal of healthy body and healthy mind. These health communication strategies could play a very important role in developing and underdeveloped countries, where people are not much aware of the diseases and their preventive measure. In this paper the researchers have tried to make a systematic literature review of 20 different research outcomes of health communication. And tried to present a very important and in-depth of past studies of health communication in India and Abroad. This systematic review has directly dealt with media and its role in health promotion, agenda setting for health, behavior theories etc. This study has helped the researchers to draw future line of action for the new researches in the field of Role of Media in health awareness & Health Communication.