New Media Studies

Digital Health in the Comprehensive Health Communication System in Iran

farzaneh koohi; seyedali rahmanzadeh; Ali Asghar Kia; seyedreza naghibulsadat

Volume 11, Issue 42 , December 2025, , Pages 26-1

https://doi.org/10.22054/nms.2024.81833.1755

Abstract

The advancement of new technologies has established digital health as an effective strategy for enhancing health communication and service delivery. This study aims to identify the ... Read More The advancement of new technologies has established digital health as an effective strategy for enhancing health communication and service delivery. This study aims to identify the components of digital health within Iran's comprehensive health communication system, guided by Rogers's Diffusion of Innovation theory, and to analyze its current state in the country. The research employed a SWOT analysis, utilizing a purposive, non-probability sampling method to recruit experts in the fields of health and communication. The findings indicate that the presence of national health systems, the application of artificial intelligence, and citizen acceptance of online services are among the most significant strengths of digital health in Iran. Conversely, the absence of a comprehensive legal framework, a lack of system integration, and structural resistance to technological change represent the primary obstacles to the diffusion of this innovation. Furthermore, opportunities such as the growth of self-care applications and the expanding use of social media, alongside threats including the digital divide and cybersecurity risks, are decisive factors in the success of this transformation. Mapping the situation onto the five stages of Rogers's theory—knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation—the results indicate that digital health in Iran remains in the early stages of adoption. To advance this process, it is imperative to formulate integrated policies, develop robust technological and security infrastructures, foster a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration, and provide targeted public information and education to promote digital health literacy.Extended Abstract:IntroductionDigital health represents a transformative approach within health communication, capable of enhancing the quality of health services and facilitating access to information. Despite recent progress, its implementation in Iran continues to face significant challenges. Furthermore, digital health has not been thoroughly examined within the framework of a comprehensive health communication system, resulting in an insufficient understanding of its constituent elements for improving interaction among patients, providers, researchers, and policymakers. This knowledge gap hinders the full utilization of technological potential for advancing public health and underscores the critical need for comprehensive research in this domain.Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the constituent elements and components of digital health within Iran's comprehensive health communication system. The findings are positioned to enhance health communication, facilitate stakeholder interaction, and guide the transition from the current state to the desired future of digital health in Iran.In this context, analyzing the stages of innovation adoption within a society—specifically, how individuals gain knowledge of a technology, are persuaded to use it, decide to adopt it, implement it, and confirm its ongoing use—can play a critical role in understanding and enhancing the acceptance of digital health.Previous studies have demonstrated the significant efficacy of information and communication technology (ICT) in healthcare delivery and health education. International research further corroborates that the strategic development of social media and digital tools can enhance access, participation, and the overall quality of health services. However, the absence of comprehensive infrastructure and a persistent reliance on traditional processes remain significant barriers to the widespread adoption of digital health.MethodologyThis study employed a SWOT analysis, utilizing a purposive sampling method to select experts from the fields of health and communication. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The primary research question guiding this investigation is: "What are the key elements and components of digital health within a comprehensive health communication system?" A gap analysis technique was applied to assess the disparity between the current and desired states of digital health, thereby informing the strategic requirements for achieving the desired outcome. The study's statistical population consisted of experts with scientific and professional backgrounds in communication, media, and the health system.Discussion and ResultsThe results indicated that the principal strengths include the existence of national digital health systems, the application of artificial intelligence, growing public acceptance of online services, and the production of digital educational content. Major weaknesses encompass the absence of a comprehensive legal framework, a lack of systemic integration, structural resistance to change, and underdeveloped communication infrastructure. Key opportunities involve the expansion of self-care applications and the strategic use of social media, while significant threats consist of the digital divide and cybersecurity risks. An analysis based on Rogers's Diffusion of Innovation theory reveals that digital health in Iran is primarily in the knowledge and persuasion stages. Transitioning to the decision, implementation, and confirmation stages necessitates integrated policymaking, robust infrastructure development, and the promotion of digital health literacy.ConclusionDigital health in Iran possesses significant potential; however, its full realization requires the removal of persistent legal, managerial, and infrastructural barriers. Proposed strategies to this end include establishing a comprehensive legal framework, strengthening technological and cybersecurity infrastructures, promoting digital health literacy, and fostering active citizen participation. The effective implementation of these strategies is essential for improving stakeholder interaction and achieving a sustainable and efficient digital health ecosystem in Iran.

Discourse analysis on woman's rights demands on Instagram social network

Zahra Bagheri; seyedreza naghibulsadat; Mansoureh Zarean

Volume 10, Issue 39 , October 2024, , Pages 174-142

https://doi.org/10.22054/nms.2024.69527.1466

Abstract

Abstract Demands in a society can be understood as the needs shared by most or a significant number of its members. These needs are shaped by the dominant discourses within that particular ... Read More Abstract Demands in a society can be understood as the needs shared by most or a significant number of its members. These needs are shaped by the dominant discourses within that particular society. It is crucial to note that discourses prioritize the needs of their followers. By identifying prominent discourses with numerous followers in the domain of women's rights, it becomes possible to comprehend their demands. Essentially, understanding these discourses serves as a window into the needs and desires of women's rights advocates within a given society. At the macro level, identifying the demands of women's rights advocates through discourse analysis can provide a foundation for legislating and planning to fulfill these demands. Given its expansive platform for sharing diverse content such as text, images, audio, and video, Instagram presents an ideal space for women's rights discourse. The current research has focused on analyzing discourse about women's rights demands within this prominent social network. The present study, as an exploratory research, was conducted through applied and qualitative methods. The research method utilized was discourse analysis, specifically the approach developed by Norman Fairclough and Theon Van Dyck. Furthermore, the non-probability sampling method and the targeted technique were applied. The statistical population comprised all real Instagram pages belonging to Iranian female users with more than 10,000 followers. These pages were required to be centered on the rights of Iranian women. Considering the eligibility criteria, each Instagram page needed to have a minimum length of at least 300 words and other requirements. Consequently, from a sample of 1000 pages, 56 met these criteria. The findings of the study revealed that there are eleven prominent discourses garnering considerable support on Instagram, which address women's rights demands. The following eleven discourse categories emerged as the most popular on Instagram based on the number of followers they attracted: "Radical Feminist," "Liberal Feminist," "Cultural and Social Demands of Mothers," "Empowerment of Women," "New Religious Thinkers," "Positive View of the Body," "Women's Cultural and Social Demands," "Anti-Advertising Bloggers," "Women's Legal Demands," "Anti-Violence Against Women," and "Islamic Feminist." Extended Abstract: Introduction - Research Questions: Historically, in societies across the world, humans have possessed desires and needs which, upon being shared by a significant portion of the population, become public demands and claims. These demands, which may be framed through a gendered lens, if left unmet, could potentially lead to civil or street protests due to societal pressures. In Iran, prior to the Islamic Revolution, most women were relatively unaware of their rights, leading to a scarcity of demands being voiced, primarily due to a lack of access to education, with many women being illiterate or having only completed elementary schooling. Only women from higher social classes and the educated echelons made demands. The Islamic Revolution marked a significant turning point in the education of women, and this paved the way for their entry into the labor market. This development saw the emergence of educated women from diverse backgrounds who joined universities, broadening the spectrum of demands. Armed with an understanding of their capabilities, these women articulated a growing demand for increased participation in family and societal management, coupled with aspirations for greater privileges for their socio-economic class. The advancement of technology has indeed had a significant impact on the expansion of demand-related discourses and the number of its proponents. A key characteristic of media technology is the ability to keep individuals' identities concealed, particularly on social networks, which typically do not charge their members for engaging in activities. This, in turn, facilitates the easy expression of opinions and creation of content in areas of interest. Consequently, a platform has been established for cultivating greater awareness among women of their rights and broadening the scope of their demands. Among interactive media, there exists a class of tools known as social networks, which have gained immense popularity and wide-spread usage, including examples such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram. These networks serve a crucial role in enabling individuals to express their opinions and views. Notably, they have also contributed to the formation of discourses concerning women's demands within these social media platforms. Given the significance of the topics at hand and the prevalence of the Instagram social network, the primary question this research paper aims to address is: What types of discourses concerning women's rights are active within the Instagram social network? Essentially, the objective of this paper is to identify the various discourses pertaining to women's rights claims on the Instagram platform. A study conducted by Mohammadi et al. (2019) explored the comprehension and interpretation of discourses surrounding "women's support for football." The research revealed that the religio-political discourse, grounded in a distinctly Muslim identity, aims to negate other forms of femininity and fundamentally rejects the notion of football fandom among women. The study conducted by Moghimi et al. (2019) sought to analyze the prevalent discourse of hate directed towards women on the Instagram pages of female users. By employing the discourse analysis approach developed by Theon E. Van Dyke, the researchers examined the pages of four female users active in the field of women's issues. A meticulous examination and review of the analyzed content unveiled three primary forms of violence. Firstly, there was an expression of discrimination and antagonism towards the patriarchal system. Secondly, there was a targeted condemnation of the institution of family and the conventional role ascribed to women within this system. Lastly, there was a discourse that advocated for feminist and progressive ideals, through a lens of destruction against traditional values, aiming to dismantle the constraints of conventional norms and liberate women from the confines of tradition. A study by Kharazmi et al. (2019) aimed to identify the cultural actions of women following the Islamic Revolution, by analyzing the discourse of Islamic feminism demands, based on the principles set forth by Margat Badran. This research identified key signifiers using the theoretical framework of Laclau and Moff, which falls under the category of critical discourse analysis. The results of this study indicated that the central signifiers of the Islamic feminist discourse are directed at the Islamic Republic of Iran. Methodology The current study employed the "discourse analysis" method, combining descriptive and analytical approaches. This method involved utilizing the theoretical foundations to extract categories, and subsequently conducting discourse analysis across two stages. Drawing upon Fairclough's theory, the target text was initially described to lay the foundation, then depth was added and the body of the discourse was achieved through descriptive, interpretive, and explanatory measures. This process led to uncovering relevant information concerning both micro-level discourse and macro-level social behavior. In the subsequent stage of discourse analysis, adopting the framework put forth by Theon Van Dyke, specific categories were scrutinized to extract related discourses. The sample size for this study was determined to fall within the range of 15 to 25 samples, with a focus on discourses related to women's rights demands. The study employed a "non-probability sampling" approach, specifically the "targeted" technique, to evaluate the Instagram pages of female users with over 10,000 followers. The unit of analysis in this research consists of the content of these pages' published submissions. Results The findings were subsequently ranked based on the number of followers subscribed to each discourse identified. Using these criteria, eleven discourses were discovered. The foremost discourse, "Radical Feminist," critiques the patriarchal system and critiques all the conditions inherent to women's demands. The discourse that came in second, "Liberal Feminist," highlights the patriarchal system and the historical oppression of women, suggesting that equal rights can be achieved for women by entering into cultural arenas and attempting to shift gender stereotypes. The third discourse delves into the topic of "cultural and social demands of mothers." This discourse posits that society indoctrinates women who choose to have children, leading to social isolation and hindering their potential for career development and personal growth. The fourth discourse centers around "empowering women," which highlights the challenges faced by married or soon-to-be-married women in their interactions with men. The fifth discourse, known as "Religious Thinkers," suggests that re-examining religious texts, particularly the interpretations of the Quran, can offer a solution to the problems at hand. The sixth discourse is "body positivity," which asserts that women have become pawns in the interests of capitalists, acting not only as their victims but also as their advocates in the diet industry. The seventh discourse focuses on "cultural and social demands of women." Within this discourse, issues affecting women are addressed from a cultural and societal standpoint. The eighth discourse, related to "anti-advertisement bloggers," critiques advertisement bloggers and sweethomes for their involvement in advertisements, which have led to increased consumerism and decreased self-confidence among women, often in exchange for monetary compensation or free facilities. The ninth discourse, titled "Women's Rights," addresses legal issues pertaining to women, including topics such as dowry, alimony, permission to leave the country, the right to work, the right to housing, custody, guardianship, and related concerns. This discourse advocates for the rewriting of the Family Protection Law. The 10th discourse, "Anti-violence Against Women," stresses the elimination of all forms of violence against women, particularly domestic violence toward women. It also highlights the root causes of these problems, attributing them not only to cultural factors but also to flaws within criminal laws. This discourse advocates for the need to revise these laws. The 11th discourse, known as "Islamic Feminist," seeks to identify common grounds between Islam and feminism and apply feminist principles within the Islamic thoughts and laws of Iran. Conclusion The findings of the present study revealed that in the Instagram social network, the "Radical Feminists" discourse is highly active as the dominant discourse resisting the rights of Iranian women. This highlights a significant gap in the domain, characterized by a shortage of accurate and timely information regarding women's demands coupled with the absence of effective channels for pursuing these demands. Given these findings, it is recommended that media, both in the physical realm in the form of newspapers and magazines, as well as in the digital space in the form of news agencies or websites, should specifically focus on the demands of Iranian women. Furthermore, appropriate regulations should be established to regulate and control online content in order to prevent the spread of biased and anti-governmental views. Additionally, well-known figures and media outlets should be utilized to effectively convey the positions of the Islamic Revolution, Article 21 of the Constitution, and the "Islamic fundamentalist" discourse within the context of women's demands. Encouraging the establishment of creative and thought-provoking cultural centers to create attractive media productions and textual content in the field of primary women's demands is crucial. Synchronizing these demands with existing laws for addressing women's issues is also essential. Additionally, the Women's Faction in parliament should actively pursue legal actions to rectify the legal loopholes responsible for the possible exploitation of women by certain men. By implementing these strategies, we can aspire to shift the balance of power in favor of the dominant discourse in support of Islamic fundamentalist ideology, which aligns with Iranian-Islamic rituals and beliefs and is the prevailing discourse in Iran.

The role of new media in healthy lifestyle )Case Study: Students of Allameh Tabataba'i University

elahe Rahmani; seyedreza naghibulsadat; masoud taghiabadi

Volume 9, Issue 33 , May 2023, , Pages 121-81

https://doi.org/10.22054/nms.2023.65810.1346

Abstract

Looking at our lives and our surroundings, we can easily see that the issue of health and its dimensions in people's lifestyles is one of the most important concerns of humans. Today, ... Read More Looking at our lives and our surroundings, we can easily see that the issue of health and its dimensions in people's lifestyles is one of the most important concerns of humans. Today, dealing with the issue of health is out of the individual format and with the change of life patterns, people's health in a field with more diversity has attracted the attention of experts, since reaching these goals is not outside the field of information and awareness, we must say that the issue Communication and the role of the media in the field of health has gained special importance. The purpose of healthy life is the four dimensions of health, i.e. mental, physical, social and spiritual health, which is affected by the performance of modern media. Here, new media are continuously exploited because of the place it has in people's eyes and affect the dimensions of people's lives based on health. Lifestyle is formed from cultural patterns, behavior and habits that people use on a daily basis in their personal and social life and includes daily activities that a person uses in his life and affects his health. Lifestyles help to understand what people do and why and what it means to them and others (Chani, 2001: 11). In this research, the role of new media in healthy lifestyle has been discussed. Regarding the importance of this research, it should be acknowledged that with the implementation of this research, the media components of the healthy lifestyle are theoretically identified. Also, appropriate literature will be produced for this work, and in practical terms, it will be a basis for decision-making by officials in order to improve the health of society by using the role of the media. When talking about health, it includes the physical, psychological, spiritual and social dimensions of health, as well as the personal and social characteristics of the respondents, the level of access of the respondents to new media, elements of a health-oriented lifestyle, social harms caused by new media, etc.... has been emphasized.Therefore, the purpose of this research is to know the role of modern media in different dimensions of health and to know the harms it may have on health. Also, to know the respondents' point of view about the consequences of using new media is one of the goals of this research. Is. The theoretical framework of this research is the theories of need seeking and planting. Because definitely, in today's world, new technologies play an important role as a partner to create a parallel world of reality, which with the points mentioned can shape the realization of a health-oriented life based on its various dimensions. For this reason, in the current social media era, for example, improving the planting theory and applying it in today's modern media world is a necessity. Having said that, the research hypotheses are as follows:It seems that there is a relationship between the amount of use of new media and a health-oriented lifestyle.It seems that there is a relationship between the type of new media and the health aspects of lifestyle.There seems to be a relationship between social networks and a health-oriented lifestyleIt seems that there is a relationship between new media and mental healthThere seems to be a relationship between new media and physical health.There seems to be a connection between new media and spiritual health.There seems to be a relationship between new media and social health.MethodologyThis research has been conducted using the survey method, which is considered among the quantitative research methods. The statistical population in this research is the students of Allameh Tabatabai University. The sampling method in this research is a combination of two techniques, multi-stage and quota. To obtain the sample size in this research, Cochran's formula was used, which enables research with 5% error and 95% confidence. The formal method has been used to achieve the validity of the research. In order to provide face validity in the research, the opinions of respected guidance and counseling professors as well as three methodological experts have been used to determine that the items and questions in question examine the desired characteristic.Research findings:According to the t-test with a sample calculated for the scale of access to media facilities, with 1% error and 99% confidence, there is a significant difference between the exploitation levels of users. The result shows that there is a significant difference between people's use of modern media. In this scale, despite the significant difference of most variables, the following items were not significant in the scale with 5% error and 95% confidence. Informative sites, repositories, and in this regard, no difference in the type of exploitation of the respondents was mentioned in this regard. This shows that the more general aspects of using new media do not show a difference in the eyes of users.According to the t-test with a sample calculated for the scale of elements of health dimensions, with 1% error and 99% confidence, there is a significant difference between the levels of addressing these elements by modern media with 1% error and 99% confidence. Also, with 5% error and 95% confidence for healthy eating, self-care in health issues, sports and physical health care, there is no significant difference between positive and negative answers.According to the t-test with one sample calculated for the scale of damages caused by the use of new media, with 1% error and 99% confidence, there is a significant difference regarding the damage caused by the use of new media among the respondents with 1% error and 99% confidence... Also, with 5% error and 95% confidence, there is no significant difference between positive and negative answers for tendency towards tobacco and illegal economic activities, aversion to religion and tendency towards false mysticism.According to the t-test with a sample calculated for the social health scale and its dimensions, with 1% error and 99% confidence, there is a significant difference between the levels of addressing these dimensions by modern media for social health, physical health, and also with 5% error and 95% There is certainty for spiritual health. But for mental health, there is no relationship with 5% error and 95% certainty. In this description, it should be stated that the average result indicates the average level of new media's attention to health aspects by people.ConclusionThe current research under the title of the role of modern media in the respondents' healthy lifestyle with the aim of knowing the dimensions of role-playing in addition to the extent of the respondents' use of modern media; Done. The results of this research indicate that:1) There is a significant relationship between the use of new media and the role of new media in health-oriented lifestyle with 1% error percentage and 99% confidence percentage.2) There is a significant relationship between the use of health-related social media channels and the role of modern media in health-oriented lifestyle with 1% error percentage and 99% confidence.3) There is a significant relationship between the coverage of new media in the field of health and the role of new media in health-oriented lifestyle with 1% error percentage and 99% confidence.4) There is a significant relationship between the coverage of modern media in terms of physical health and the role of modern media in health-oriented lifestyle with 1% error percentage and 99% confidence percentage.5) There is a significant relationship between the coverage of new media in the aspect of mental health and the role of new media in health-oriented lifestyle with 1% error percentage and 99% confidence percentage.6) There is no significant relationship between new media coverage of social health and the role of new media in health-oriented lifestyle with 5% margin of error and 95% confidence.7) There is no significant relationship between the coverage of new media in the dimension of spiritual health and the role of new media in the health-oriented lifestyle with a 1% margin of error and 95% confidence.In this research, the role of modern media in the physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects of the health of users of modern media was evaluated and the results showed that in the field of exploitation, the use of media such as digital television, information sites, satellites, digital books, Newspapers and magazines, digital radio, have been evaluated at different levels and the most emphasis has been on the use of media such as satellites, digital books, newspapers and magazines. Also, according to the respondents, the greatest amount of role-playing of modern media in the health-oriented lifestyle of the respondents is related to the physical health dimension and the lowest amount is related to the social dimension.

Media Diplomacy on Twitter

SeyedReza Naghibulsadat; Fatemeh Oudlajani

Volume 7, Issue 26 , November 2021, , Pages 324-295

https://doi.org/10.22054/nms.2021.49542.903

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the content and evaluation of the Twitter of the Iranian and US Foreign Ministers aimed at identifying the "media diplomacy structure of Iranian ... Read More

Religious upbringing Communications, Designing Schema (model) of the Upbringing communication According to Islamic thought in Iran

Hamed Forouzan

Volume 2, Issue 8 , March 2017, , Pages 137-170

https://doi.org/10.22054/cs.2017.14299.91

Abstract

Network communication training center is a new concept that has been made of two components and parameters of human communication and religious education. With attitude in concept of ... Read More

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Author = naghibulsadat, seyedreza

Digital Health in the Comprehensive Health Communication System in Iran

Abstract

Discourse analysis on woman's rights demands on Instagram social network

Abstract

The role of new media in healthy lifestyle )Case Study: Students of Allameh Tabataba'i University

Abstract

Media Diplomacy on Twitter

Abstract

Religious upbringing Communications, Designing Schema (model) of the Upbringing communication According to Islamic thought in Iran

Abstract