Does religiosity matter? Examining interpersonal communication influence on self-protective behavior against communicable diseases in Kenya.

Abstract

Background: Communicable and infectious diseases, many of which are preventable, disproportionately burden low-income communities, deepening global health disparities. Limited access to prevention and care services amplifies vulnerability, making health communication a critical tool for motivating risk reduction and behavior change. The current emphasis is on communicating health within the cultural context and the use of multiple communication strategies for efficiency and effectiveness.

Methods: Grounded in the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), this study examined how interpersonal communication and religiosity - as a culturally embedded factor - influence risk-reduction behavior. Survey data were collected from a sample of adults in Kenya (N = 715).

Results: Religiosity was positively associated with key motivators of self-protective behavior, including risk perceptions and response efficacy. Additionally, religiosity moderated the relationship between interpersonal information sources, their frequency of use, and self-protective behavior.

Conclusions: Integrating religiosity as a cultural dimension into health communication frameworks enhances explanatory power and offers actionable insights for intervention design. These findings underscore the value of culturally responsive, interpersonal communication strategies for promoting self-protective behavior against communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.