Educommunication and empowerment in cardiovascular health of Lisbon citizens

Abstract

Online educommunication and empowerment are crucial dimensions in awareness, literacy and change processes, and their articulation may bring benefits to cardiovascular health, given that cardiovascular diseases are the deadliest in the world, including in Portugal. This paper aims to explore the relationship between online educommunication and empowerment in cardiovascular health, using Lisbon citizens as a case. The theoretical framework is composed by the interactivity and empowerment model, the health belief model and the uses and gratifications theory. The questionnaire survey was applied to a gender and age quota sample (N=400). The questionnaire includes thematic dimensions, such as online informative practices on cardiovascular health, the eHEALS scale, and the importance and effectiveness of the educommunicative message on cardiovascular health features. Results show that the educommunicative message has characteristics at the level of purpose, content, type, format, emotions, and logic, which enhance it the most. This indicates that exposure to messages with these characteristics may instigate empowerment and behavior change. Respondents self-rated with the most positive levels on the eHEALS scale, showing empowerment at the eHealth level, with age rather than gender differences. There is evidence that eHealth skills and having cardiovascular disease influence information seeking and empowerment. The main contribution lies in identifying characteristics of the cardiovascular health educommunication message that can optimize recipient’s empowerment.