Publication Date
Fall 2019
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Angela Jerome (Director), Helen Sterk and Jieyoung Kong
Degree Program
Department of Communication
Degree Type
Master of Arts
Abstract
The hepatitis A crisis in Kentucky is unprecedented compared to other states. With thousands of hospitalizations and over 60 deaths in the state of Kentucky alone, there is a need to evaluate the government’s response to the hepatitis A virus (HAV) epidemic. Therefore, the instructional risk communication messages that are being conveyed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (KCHFS) are instrumental in the education and action plans of Kentuckians who are at risk of contracting HAV.
This study utilizes the IDEA Model Thematic Analysis Codebook as a guide to analyze the KCHFS’ risk communication regarding the hepatitis A crisis, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of its campaign. Through this research, I identify the weaknesses in the KCHFS’ risk communication campaign including: the need to focus on a more general audience, the need to foreground all facets of the IDEA model on its website, the need to promote the vaccination of the HAV more strongly, and the need to make the website more user-friendly for all populations.
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Business and Corporate Communications | Diseases | Health Communication | Mass Communication
Recommended Citation
Cato, Rachel Leigh, "The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Response to the Hepatitis a Virus Outbreak in Kentucky: An Idea Model Analysis" (2019). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 3163.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/3163
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Diseases Commons, Health Communication Commons, Mass Communication Commons