A Content Analysis of Research on Religion and Spirituality in General Communication and Health Communication Journals

Abstract

Little research has been conducted within the field of communication regarding the intersection of religious faith and health communication. One step toward addressing the existing gap in health communication literature is to establish an accurate picture of the present state of affairs. The purpose of this study was to describe publication patterns in communication journals over the past 10 years with respect to the intersection and faith and health communication. We conducted a content analysis on four broad-based communication journals that have been identified as central in the communication field, and two health communication journals. We present results regarding specific health conditions, nationalities, faith communities, channels of communication, domains of religion, and purposes of communication studied; methods used; trends in publication across time and communication journals; and comparison to other disciplines.