According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Communication is, “the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health.” With this in mind, GatorWell uses data and theory-driven best practices in health promotion and health communication, such as health communication and social marketing campaigns, to educate and raise awareness of health-enhancing decisions and behaviors in individual students and the campus community as a whole. This the data-driven best-practice approach allows us to create campaigns using University of Florida student data and feedback that is relevant to our specific student population.
Based on the unique health needs of UF students, GatorWell developed a Weekly Health Message Campaign that is displayed across campus throughout the year and is grouped by semester into distinct theme blocks. For each theme block, health communication messages were developed using student participation and feedback to ensure the message content and designs are relevant to and resonate with the students we aim to reach.
In addition to the weekly health message communication campaign, GatorWell has also developed topic-specific health communication campaigns. From reducing mental health stigma to teaching students how to be active bystanders and intervene to prevent sexual assault, GatorWell's health communication campaigns encourage healthy behaviors across many topics.
If you would like to learn more about this program or obtain permission to use any of the designs on the UF campus, please contact gatorwell@ufsa.ufl.edu.
****Disclaimer for External Institutions****
GatorWell’s Health Communication campaigns are created using evidence-based theories and models in the field of Health Promotion. This data-driven best-practice approach allows us to create campaigns using University of Florida student data and feedback that are relevant to our specific student population. As a result, these campaigns are tailored to the University of Florida student population and are not generalizable to other populations and should not be used by other institutions. If you are looking to create your own campaigns, we recommend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Gateway to Health Communication and Social Marketing Practice” website and the National Cancer Institute’s “Making Health Communication Programs Work” (also know as the “Pink Book”). Both are wonderful resources for campaign development. We are also happy to consult with other institutions upon request. To set up a phone consultation, please email GatorWell.