{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T23:48:47Z","timestamp":1792799327760,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,5]],"date-time":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754352000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title><jats:p>To explore the ecology of interpersonal health communication behavior among older residents in rural areas of western China.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Adopted semi-structured interviews with 15 older residents and 15 family doctors in rural areas of five prefecture level cities in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. Used the Consensual Qualitative Research method for data analysis. Based on the ecological map drawn, understand how the interpersonal health communication behavior of older residents is carried and what factors affect it in rural area.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>According to the Ecological Systems Theory, we identified following themes: Microsystem (Weak recognition of health knowledge needs, Informal communication: mutual communication between relatives and friends and formal communication: one-way communication of family doctors); Mesosystem (Multi scenario and Multi channels); Exosystem (Medical environment and Family doctors\u2019 workload) Macrosystem (National policies, Regional characteristics and Living environment).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>In summary, the health communication mode of older residents in rural areas is different from other populations, with face-to-face communication based on family doctors being the dominant mode and influenced by multiple levels of factors. Therefore, it is necessary to establish systematic plans at the policy, organizational, and other levels, especially in the training of family doctors, so that they can carry out more extensive and deeper professional interpersonal health communication, enhance the health literacy of the older, and maintain their health level.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1615088","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,5]],"date-time":"2025-08-05T05:25:40Z","timestamp":1754371540000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["The social ecological model of interpersonal health communication among rural older residents: a consensual qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Weijuan","family":"Kong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cailing","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinjin","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanhua","family":"Ning","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lingna","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haiyan","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yahong","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meiman","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1080\/108107396128202","article-title":"The field of health communication today: an up-to-date report","volume":"1","author":"Rogers","year":"1996","journal-title":"J Health Commun"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/2158244019858436","article-title":"Exploring interpersonal relationships in a nurse-managed clinic and their impact on clinical outcomes","volume":"9","author":"Lee","year":"2019","journal-title":"SAGE Open"},{"key":"ref3","article-title":"Interpersonal communication in healthcare","volume":"11","author":"Chichirez","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Med Life"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"352","DOI":"10.1080\/10401334.2017.1407656","article-title":"The complexity of patients' health communication social networks: a broadening of physician communication","volume":"30","author":"Nimmon","year":"2018","journal-title":"Teach Learn Med"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1674","DOI":"10.1080\/17441692.2020.1775870","article-title":"Social networks for health communication in rural Uganda: a mixed-method analysis of Dekabusa trading Centre","volume":"15","author":"de Vries","year":"2020","journal-title":"Luwero County Glob Public Health"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"418","DOI":"10.16168\/j.cnki.issn.1002-9982.2022.05.007","article-title":"Analysis on the current situation of health communication mode in rural areas of Chong-qing","volume":"38","author":"Guo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Chin J Health Educ"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.13240\/j.cnki.caujsse.20250320.001","article-title":"What exactly does \u201crural\u201d mean in rural revitalization?","volume":"42","author":"Wu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J China Agricul University (Soc Sci)"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e29372","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.29372","article-title":"Acknowledging the role of community health workers in providing essential healthcare services in rural India-a review","volume":"14","author":"Kalne","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1177","DOI":"10.1002\/hec.3387","article-title":"Doctor competence and the demand for healthcare: evidence from rural China","volume":"26","author":"Fe","year":"2017","journal-title":"Health Econ"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1967","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)01546-X","article-title":"The path to healthy ageing in China: a Peking University-lancet commission","volume":"400","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11579","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph120911579","article-title":"What contributes to the activeness of ethnic minority patients with chronic illnesses seeking allied health services? 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