Creation and Utilization Podcasts for Promoting Women’s Health Issues
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE: Podcasts present an emerging technique for dissemination of health information and awareness. This project seeks to utilize this new technology to provide informative content and build awareness of women’s health issues, which is a challenging task. PROCEDURES: Secondary research was conducted to determine how podcasts are currently used in both the health and education fields. Findings from these studies indicate that podcasts are a successful means of delivering content in a format that bridges the personal connection of face-to-face communication with the impersonal connections of text (such as websites, emails, and social media). ANALYSES: As a delivery format, podcasting creates an oral/aural authenticity for listeners. This authenticity lends credibility to the podcast creator(s), therefore legitimizing the content of the podcast. In the digital age, podcasts also provide brief, portable, personalized content without the distractions of comments, likes, advertisements and other social media and website markets. Audiences positively respond to the authenticity of the podcast and focus on the content due to lack of distractions. CONCLUSION: Podcasts are an ideal method of delivering health-focused information. Based on the research consulted, the podcast “Just the Facts Ma’am: The Life and Times of a Uterus” was created to address a gap in objective, factual information about female bodies and health concerns. This podcast uses an intersectional lens to address issues such as myths and misinformation surrounding menstruation and reproductive cycles, cancers unique to female anatomy, historical and current information on hygienic products, and providing clear information on legislation related to women’s health.
Creation and Utilization Podcasts for Promoting Women’s Health Issues
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE: Podcasts present an emerging technique for dissemination of health information and awareness. This project seeks to utilize this new technology to provide informative content and build awareness of women’s health issues, which is a challenging task. PROCEDURES: Secondary research was conducted to determine how podcasts are currently used in both the health and education fields. Findings from these studies indicate that podcasts are a successful means of delivering content in a format that bridges the personal connection of face-to-face communication with the impersonal connections of text (such as websites, emails, and social media). ANALYSES: As a delivery format, podcasting creates an oral/aural authenticity for listeners. This authenticity lends credibility to the podcast creator(s), therefore legitimizing the content of the podcast. In the digital age, podcasts also provide brief, portable, personalized content without the distractions of comments, likes, advertisements and other social media and website markets. Audiences positively respond to the authenticity of the podcast and focus on the content due to lack of distractions. CONCLUSION: Podcasts are an ideal method of delivering health-focused information. Based on the research consulted, the podcast “Just the Facts Ma’am: The Life and Times of a Uterus” was created to address a gap in objective, factual information about female bodies and health concerns. This podcast uses an intersectional lens to address issues such as myths and misinformation surrounding menstruation and reproductive cycles, cancers unique to female anatomy, historical and current information on hygienic products, and providing clear information on legislation related to women’s health.