*CFP* "COMMUNICATION RESEARCH ON HEALTH DISPARITIES", SPECIAL ISSUE, HEALTH COMMUNICATION JOURNAL

The past year has witnessed heightened health disparities among distinct social groups which have been exposed and exacerbated by COVID-19. This global pandemic, in conjunction with other major crises, has brought challenges far beyond medicine and public health and is causing long term and devastating impacts. Socially vulnerable populations in particular are experiencing some of the greatest disparities caused by COVID-19. With the announcement of this Call for Papers, we ask in what ways health communication scholarship is producing knowledge and evidence-based practices to address health disparities and prepare for challenges to come. We believe addressing those emerging disparities in our ever-changing social environment requires multilateral collaboration. We encourage research involving interdisciplinary collaboration that could initiate meaningful dialogue and insightful knowledge sharing among scholars with different expertise on communication strategies to close social gaps enlarged by COVID-19.

This special issue seeks contributions on health communication research at individual, family, group, community, and societal levels in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has given rise to different types of local and global crises. Contributors are encouraged to embrace diversity in theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. We welcome submissions addressing health disparities caused by factors including but not limited to gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, ethnic and cultural background (e.g., BIPOC), educational level, ability level, and immigration status. Research from international and global contexts, including the Global South, are especially welcome.

This special issue focuses on the role communication plays in addressing and coping with health disparities through and beyond the COVID-19 related crises, considering (but not limited to) the following suggested topic areas:

• Media campaigns for health promotion among underserved populations 
• Media coverage on health disparity 
• Media representation of diverse groups 
• Communicating and coping with mental and psychological issues 
• Social support at individual, group, and community levels 
• Promoting health literacy on COVID-19 in diverse populations 
• Health education of protective behavior on COVID-19 
• Communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy among BIPOC groups 
• Social media engagement during COVID-19 
• Communication about food insecurity 
• Social discourse on equal and ethical access to vaccine and essential medical resources 
• Telehealth and telemedicine to underserved populations during COVID-19

 

Important Deadlines:

Submission Due:  June 30, 2021

Notification of Acceptance and Revision Request: September 15, 2021

Revised Manuscript Due: October 30, 2021

 

Submission Guidelines:

All submissions will go through a blind peer review process.

Submissions must be submitted to the Health Communication online portal, indicating it is for the special issue on “Communication Research on Health Disparities and Coping Strategies in COVID-19 Related Crises.”

All submitted manuscripts should conform to the guidelines of Health Communication. 

Manuscripts should be 4000-5000 words including references, tables, and figures. APA 7 style is required.

 

Inquiries:

Inquiries about the special issue should be directed to the special issue editors Rukhsana Ahmed, University at Albany, State University of New York, at rahmed4@albany.edu or Yuping Mao, California State University Long Beach, at yuping.mao@csulb.edu.

 

Instructions for authors.

Submit an article.

More information.