TYPES OF CAMPAIGNS IN EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH COMMUNICATION

Health communication is a field of study that has been included in the communication world since the 1970s. Health communication has a field of application carried out by individuals and media-mediated communication in health service delivery and health promotion. Health communication is an applied field of study because it examines both the pragmatic effects of human communication on the provision of healthcare and public health promotion and studies in this area are often used to improve the quality of healthcare delivery. Health communication campaigns are prepared to reveal desired health behaviors in society and to prevent risky health behaviors. However, whether these campaigns achieve their goals is an issue that is rarely discussed. Health communication and its applications at the mass communication level are realized through health communication campaigns. The success of a health communication campaign is measured by comparing the current situation before and after the campaign. This brings us to the concept of evidence-based health communication. This study describes the design stages of evidence-based health communication, which is an effective phenomenon in measuring campaign success. The similarities and differences among non- experimental, quasi-experimental and experimental designs were revealed in the study. The aim of the study is to explain the campaign design stages of evidence-based health communication and provide a guide to the pre-campaign preparation process for practitioners. Thus, practitioners will be able to choose the most suitable design for their target audience and avoid application mistakes.