Equity-Informed Approaches in Health Communication Training: Strengthening Community Partnership Building to Reduce Health Inequities in Marginalized Communities in China
Submitted: February 14, 2026
Status: Submitted
This study examines how equity-based methods are applied in health communication training programs in China through a two-part qualitative research framework and grounded theory approach. The first phase of the study examined 25 documents, which included policy documents, curriculum materials, and training materials. The second phase of the study included 19 semi-structured interviews and three focus group sessions with faculty members, health communicators, community leaders, and policymakers to examine their real-life experiences, the challenges they faced, and the solutions they developed. The researchers employed open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to analyze data, and used constant comparison across phases to develop their category system. Results show two main findings: (Equity-Embedded Community Co-Creation), which shows how marginalized groups participate as co-designers in the development and assessment of educational programs, and (Communicative Power Rebalancing), which shows how teaching methods strengthen dialog-based and culturally flexible communication abilities. The effectiveness of equity-based practices depended on faculty members' preparedness, the administrative system, and resource allocation. The study identified participatory curriculum workshops, rural immersion rotations, and multilingual practicums and AI-supported scenario customization as effective adaptation strategies for the program.