HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2003.029793v1 96/8/1456    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (7) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Viswanath, K. Articles by Finnegan, J. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Viswanath, K. Articles by Finnegan, J. R., Jr Related Collections Community Health Social Science Health Promotion Surveys Cardiovascular Disease Other Environment

Kasisomayajula Viswanath, PhD, Whitney Randolph Steele, PhD, MPH and John R. Finnegan, Jr, PhD

Kasisomayajula Viswanath is with the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass, and with the Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass. At this time of this study, Whitney Randolph Steele was with the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md. John R. Finnegan Jr is with the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to K. Viswanath, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, SM 251, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115 (e-mail: vish_viswanath{at}dfci.harvard.edu).

Objectives. We explored the effects of community integration and pluralism on recall of cardiovascular disease health information messages.

Methods. With 1980–1983 data from the Minnesota Heart Health Program, we examined whether ties to community groups were associated with recall of health messages, and whether this relation was modified by size and degree of differentiation of the community.

Results. A higher level of civic engagement through ties to community groups was associated with better recall of health messages. Ties to community groups independently contributed to better message recall even after control for gender, education, and other variables. The moderating role of community size was non-significant but intriguing.

Conclusions. Community group membership could increase exposure to health messages, providing a critical pathway for social capital to influence health promotion and, thus, public health outcomes.