Religious Congregations and Health Information Diffusion: Implications for Viral Marketing and Peer Referral Programs

Abstract

While the acknowledgement of a link between religion and health is not new, the possibility of religious congregations as unique incubators for peer-to-peer health information diffusion remains relatively unexplored. To address that gap, this essay briefly reviews evidence of a mechanism through which religiosity affects altruistic behavior, discusses evidence that religious communities tend to foster health information sharing, and offers implications for applied communication practice.

Keywords:

• Religion
• Social Network
• Health Promotion
• Viral Marketing
• Campaign

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brian G. Southwell

Brian G. Southwell is Senior Research Scientist at RTI International in Research Triangle Park, NC, where he studies the intersection of communication and health. He also is a Research Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill