Exploring the Usefulness of the City Health Program's Communication Strategy on Community Disease Prevention

Abstract

The usefulness of health communication in promoting health programs through various communication strategies plays a key role in raising awareness on the prevention of diseases within the community. However, there are currently no existing studies that focus specifically on community diseases such as dengue fever. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the communication strategies used by the city health program in promoting awareness on the prevention of community diseases; understanding how residents evaluate the communication strategy of this city health program and its effectiveness in disseminating information regarding diseases within Barangay Visayan Village, Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Philippines. Through Semi-Structured Interviews (SSI), data were gathered by thematic analysis, residents expressed their experiences and perceptions on the usefulness of the communication strategy employed by the city health programs in promoting disease prevention. The findings show that various communication channels effectively raised awareness, which helped residents protect themselves against diseases. Furthermore, these communication strategies are vital in the dissemination of health information in the community, aided by the efforts and active collaboration of the residents. This research indicates that the city health program's communication strategy for disease prevention successfully disseminates essential information to the public, enabling them to take preventive actions. Consequently, these communication strategies hold a critical role in prevention success, however, to effectively implement preventive actions against community diseases, it is necessary to address community barriers and strengthen communication efforts.