Effective Health Communication and Required Competencies - the Case of Race and Gender Blindness in Major Online Health Information Sites

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine effective health communication and required competences in addressing race and gender blindness in major online health information sites Methodology: This study explored 8 online health information sites to examine their sensitivity to race and gender. The sites were searched for different health issues, some of the health issues present differently for people with different racial descents while some present differently for males and females. Findings: Results from this study showed that 4 out of 8 sites had content only in English Language; 2 had content in 2 different languages; 1 had content in 4 languages, and 1 in 5 Languages. These sites made no gender distinction in the description of some diseases known to manifest differently by gender such as sexually transmitted infections and some of the sites made no racial distinction in the description of some diseases such as asthma and diabetes with different prevalence and fatality rate for people of different racial descents. All the sites used white people to illustrate disease conditions, including skin conditions whose coloration would differ for different skin colors. Blindness to these diversities would only result in failure to meet health information needs of the target audience. Health information must be sensitive to diversities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that there is a need to make information sensitive to diverse racial, cultural, gender and individual groups. It also recommends that more studie should be done on impact that underrepresentation of race, gender, and cultural diversity has on the receipt of health information being communicated by these sites.