DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Reduction of Cancer Risk and Disparities, Co-Leader

DF/HCC Associations

Director, Health Communication
Member, Center Scientific Council

Lab Website

Viswanath Lab Website

Research Abstract

Dr. Viswanath’s research interest is in studying the role of communication in health promotion. He has done research in mass mediated health communication in both national and international contexts with a particular focus on communication inequities and health disparities.

His research focuses on three related areas. The first area examines the reasons and implications of limited access to information technologies to public health and in the development of strategies to enhance access among the underserved to cancer related health information. A second area studies how news media, specifically journalists play a role in covering medical and health news, the effects of such reportage on knowlege and behaviors of the audience in an attempt to build a bridge betwen the worlds of medicine and journalism. A third area of research examines the effects of news and entertainment on cancer knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in order to use these findings to design effective messages about cancer risk and prevention.

Publications

• Viswanath K, Blake KD, Meissner HI, Saiontz NG, Mull C, Freeman CS, Hesse B, Croyle RT.Occupational practices and the making of health news: a national survey of US Health and medical science journalists.J Health Commun 2008 Dec;13(8):759-77.
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• Viswanath K, Kreuter MW.Health Disparities, Communication Inequalities, and eHealth.Am J Prev Med 2007 May;32(5 Suppl):S131-3.
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• Viswanath K.Science and society: the communications revolution and cancer control.Nat Rev Cancer 2005 Oct;5(10):828-35.
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• Loggers ET, Maciejewski PK, Paulk E, Desanto-Madeya S, Nilsson M, Viswanath K, Wright AA, Balboni TA, Temel J, Stieglitz H, Block S, Prigerson HG.Racial Differences in Predictors of Intensive End-of-Life Care in Advanced Cancer Patients.J Clin Oncol 2009
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• Ramanadhan S, Wiecha JL, Emmons KM, Gortmaker SL, Viswanath K.Extra-team connections for knowledge transfer between staff teams.Health Education Research 2009 Jun 15.
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• Ackerson LK, Viswanath K.The social context of interpersonal communication and health.J Health Commun 2009;14 Suppl 1:5-17.
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• Hannon P, Lloyd GP, Viswanath K, Smith T, Basen-Engquist K, Vernon SW, Turner G, Hesse BW, Crammer C, von Wagner C, Backinger CL.Mass media and marketing communication promoting primary and secondary cancer prevention.J Health Commun 2009;14 Suppl 1:30-7.
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• Ackerson LK,Viswanath K.Communication inequalities, social determinants, and intermittent smoking in the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey.Preventing Chronic Disease 2009 Apr;6(2):A40.
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• Arya M,Behforouz HL,Viswanath K.African American women and HIV/AIDS: a national call for targeted health communication strategies to address a disparity.AIDS Read 2009 Feb;19(2):79-84, C3.
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• Stryker JE,Fishman J,Emmons KM,Viswanath K.Cancer risk communication in mainstream and ethnic newspapers.Preventing Chronic Disease 2009 Jan;6(1):A23.
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• Emmons KM,Viswanath K,Colditz GA.The role of transdisciplinary collaboration in translating and disseminating health research: lessons learned and exemplars of success.Am J Prev Med 2008 Aug;35(2 Suppl):S204-10.
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• Savoia E,Stoto MA,Biddinger PD,Campbell P,Viswanath K,Koh H.Risk-communication capability for public health emergencies varies by community diversity.BMC Res Notes 2008;1:6.
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• Colditz GA, Emmons KM, Vishwanath K, Kerner JF.Translating science to practice: community and academic perspectives.J Public Health Manag Pract 2008 Mar-Apr;14(2):144-9.
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• Taylor-Clark K, Koh H, Viswanath K.Perceptions of environmental health risks and communication barriers among low-SEP and racial/ethnic minority communities.J Health Care Poor Underserved 2007 Nov;18(4 Suppl):165-83.
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• Kontos EZ, Bennett GG, Viswanath K.Barriers and facilitators to home computer and internet use among urban novice computer users of low socioeconomic position.J Med Internet Res 2007;9(4):e31.
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• Arora NK, Hesse BW, Rimer BK, Viswanath K, Clayman ML, Croyle RT.Frustrated and confused: the American public rates its cancer-related information-seeking experiences.J Gen Intern Med 2008 Mar;23(3):223-8.
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• McNeill LH, Viswanath K, Bennett GG, Puleo E, Emmons KM.Feasibility of using a web-based nutrition intervention among residents of multiethnic working-class neighborhoods.Prev Chronic Dis 2007 Jul;4(3):A55.
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• Viswanath K, Bond K.Social determinants and nutrition: reflections on the role of communication.J Nutr Educ Behav 2007 Mar-Apr;39(2 Suppl):S20-4.
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• Fitzgibbon M, Gans KM, Evans WD, Viswanath K, Johnson-Taylor WL, Krebs-Smith SM, Rodgers AB, Yaroch AL.Communicating healthy eating: lessons learned and future directions.J Nutr Educ Behav;39(2 Suppl):S63-71.
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• Cairns CP, Viswanath K.Communication and colorectal cancer screening among the uninsured: data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (United States).Cancer Causes Control 2006 Nov;17(9):1115-25.
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• Ramanadhan S, Viswanath K.Health and the information nonseeker: a profile.Health Commun 2006;20(2):131-9.
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• Stryker JE, Emmons KM, Viswanath K.Un-covering differences across the cancer control continuum: A comparison of ethnic and mainstream cancer newspaper stories.Prev Med 2006 Aug 29.
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• Bennett GG, Wolin KY, Viswanath K, Askew S, Puleo E, Emmons KM.Television Viewing and Pedometer-Determined Physical Activity Among Multiethnic Residents of Low-Income Housing.Am J Public Health 2006 Jul 27.
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• Viswanath K, Randolph Steele W, Finnegan JR.Social capital and health: civic engagement, community size, and recall of health messages.Am J Public Health 2006 Aug;96(8):1456-61.
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• Viswanath K, Breen N, Meissner H, Moser RP, Hesse B, Steele WR, Rakowski W.Cancer knowledge and disparities in the information age.J Health Commun 2006;11 Suppl 1:1-17.
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• Randolph W, Viswanath K.Lessons Learned from Public Health Mass Media Campaigns: Marketing Health in a Crowded Media World*.Annu Rev Public Health 2004 Jan;25:419-437.
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• Viswanath K, Arora P.Ethnic media in the United StatesL An essay on integration, assimilation, and social control.Eval & Prog Plan 2000;3(1):39-56.
• Kreps G, Viswanath K.Communication interventions and cancer control: a review of the National Cancer Institute's health communication intervention research initiative.Fam Community Health 2001 Oct;24(3):ix-xiii.
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• Viswanath K, Kosicki GM, Fredin E, Park E.Community ties, community-boundedness, and local public affairs knowledge gaps.Eval & Prog Plan 2000;27(1):27-50.
• Finnegan JR, Viswanath K, Hertog J.Mass media, secular trends, and the future of cardiovascular disease health promotion: an interpretive analysis.Prev Med 1999 Dec;29(6 Pt 2):S50-8.
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• Griffin M, Viswanath K, Schwartz D.Gender Advertising in the U.S. and India: Exporting cultural stereotypes, media, culture, and society.Eval & Prog Plan 1994;16:487-507.
• Viswanath K, Finnegan JR, Hertog J, Ririe P, Murray D.Community type and the diffusion of campaign information.Eval & Prog Plan 1994;64:39-59.
• Hertog JK, Finnegan JR, Rooney B, Baxter J, Elmer P, Graves K, Mullis R, Viswanath K, Potter J.Self-efficacy as a target population segmentation strategy in a diet and cancer risk reduction campaign.Eval & Prog Plan 1993;5:21-40.
• Pavlik JV, Finnegan JR, Strickland D, Salmon C, Viswanath K, Wackman D.Increasing public understanding of heart disease: An analysis of data from the Minnesota Heart Health Program.Eval & Prog Plan 1993;5:1-20.
• Viswanath K, Kahn E, Finnegan JR, Hertog J, Potter J.Motivation and the "Knowledge Gap": Effects of a campaign to reduce diet-related cancer risk.Eval & Prog Plan 1993;20:546-563.
• Becker LB, Kosicki GM, Engleman T, Viswanath K.Finding work and getting paid: Predictors of success in the mass communications job market.Eval & Prog Plan 1993;70(4):919-933.
• Finnegan JR, Viswanath K, Kahn E, Hannan P.Exposure to the sources of heart disease prevention information: Community type and social group differences.Eval & Prog Plan 1993;70(3):569-584.
• Finnegan JR, Rooney B, Viswanath K, Elmer P, Graves K, Baxter J, Hertog J, Mullis R, Potter J.Process evaluation of a home-based program to reduce diet-related cancer risk: the "WIN at Home Series".Health Educ Q 1992 Summer;19(2):233-48.
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• Viswanath K, Finnegan JR, Hannan PJ, Luepker RV.Health and knowledge gaps: Some lessons from the Minnesota Heart Health Program.Eval & Prog Plan 1991;34:712-726.
• Finnegan JR, Viswanath K, McGovern P, Baxter J, Elmer P, Graves K, Hertog J, Mullis R, Pirie P, Trenkner L, Potter J.Predictors of knowledge about healthy eating in a rural midwestern US city.Health Educ Res 1990;5:421-431.
• Trenkner L, Rooney B, Viswanath K, Baxter J, Elmer P, Finnegan JR, Graves K, Hertog J, Mullis R, Pirie P, Potter J.Development of a scale using nutrition attitudes for audience segmentation.Health Educ Res 1990;5:479-487.
• Viswanath K, Finnegan JR, Rooney B, Potter J.Communitie ties and the use of newspapers and cable TV in a rural Midwestern community.Eval & Prog Plan 1990;67:899-911.
• Potter JD, Graves K, Finnegan JR, Mullis R, Baxter J, Crockett S, Elmer P, Gloeb B, Hall N, Hertog J, Pirie P, Richardson S, Rooney B, Slavin J, Snyder P, Splett P, Viswanath K.The Cancer and Diet Intervention Project: A community-based intervention to re
• Finnegan JR, Viswanath K, Hannan P, Weisbrod R, Jacobs DR.Message discrimination: A study of its use in a campaign research project.Eval & Prog Plan 1989;16:770-792.
• Viswanath K.International news in the U.S. media: Perceptions of foreign students.Eval & Prog Plan 1988;65(4):952-959.
• Finnegan JR, Viswanath K.Community ties and use of cable television and newspapers in a Midwest suburb.Eval & Prog Plan 1988;65:952-959.
• Finnegan JR, Viswanath K, Loken B.Predictors of cardiovascular health knowledge among suburban cable TV subscribers and non-subscribers.Health Educ Res 1988;3:141-151.