HSC 310 Module 3 Health Communication in the Wild #1 Example

Reviewed by Emmett Rockwell, MBA Arizona State University Updated October 2026

This HSC 310 Module 3 sample is Health Communication in the Wild #1 in Health Communication, a course in ASU's Health Sciences degree. Worth 20 points, the first of three ASU HSC 310 "in the wild" assignments asks students to find a real health communication example and analyze it using the module's ideas about audience, plain language and health equity. The composite student analyzes a Tips From Former Smokers advertisement from the CDC, in which Terrie, a former smoker who lost her voice box to cancer, shows how she gets ready each morning. The analysis covers the intended audience, the message and its emotional appeal, the language, the channels, equity concerns and what a national evaluation found about the campaign's effects.

CourseHSC 310 Health Communication
ModuleModule 3
Paper typeHealth communication analysis
LengthAbout 506 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolArizona State University
ProgramBS in Health Sciences
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for HSC 310 Module 3

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When a Voice Says More Than a Statistic: Analyzing the CDC's Tips From Former Smokers Campaign

Student Name

BS in Health Sciences, Arizona State University

HSC 310: Health Communication

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title points to the campaign's core technique, real people telling their own stories.
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When a Voice Says More Than a Statistic: Analyzing the CDC's Tips From Former Smokers Campaign

The Example

The CDC launched Tips From Former Smokers in March 2012 as the first federally funded national antismoking media campaign (McAfee et al., 2013). One of its best-known advertisements features Terrie, a North Carolina woman whose teenage smoking habit led to oral and throat cancer. Speaking through an artificial voice device, she shows viewers how she puts in her teeth, puts on a wig and covers the opening in her throat before starting her day, then offers a tip for getting ready.

Audience

The primary audience is adult smokers, especially those who have thought about quitting but have not tried recently. A secondary audience is nonsmokers who might encourage a friend or family member to quit. The advertisement does not lecture; it assumes viewers know smoking is harmful and shows what that harm looks like in an ordinary morning.

Message and Appeal

The message is simple: smoking can take away everyday things, and quitting help is available. The appeal is emotional and fear-based, but it is paired with a clear action, calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW. The extended parallel process model holds that fear appeals work when people feel both threatened and able to act; when they feel threatened but powerless, they tend to tune the message out (Witte, 1992). Tips pairs a strong threat with a free, simple response, which fits the model.

What this page is doingNaming a theory and applying it to one specific choice in the advertisement shows analysis rather than description.
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Language

The language is plain. Terrie uses short sentences and everyday words, and the only medical idea, cancer, is shown rather than explained. The tip format, "here's a tip," mirrors everyday advice and avoids jargon such as "cessation" or "laryngectomy." This suits a national audience: the most recent national health literacy assessment placed roughly a third of adults in its two lowest levels (Kutner et al., 2006).

Channels

The campaign ran on national television, radio, print, billboards and online, which reached people who do not seek out health information. Repetition across channels increased the chance that smokers saw it several times.

Equity

Smoking is more common in groups with lower income and less education, who also face more barriers to quitting. Tips featured people of different races, ages and backgrounds, and later waves addressed groups such as people with mental health conditions. A concern is that fear-based messages could stigmatize smokers; the campaign reduces this by letting former smokers speak with dignity and by offering help rather than blame.

Evidence of Effect

Surveys of national samples taken before and after the first three-month run found that 78% of smokers remembered at least one advertisement. The share of smokers trying to quit climbed by about 12% in relative terms, and the authors estimated that 1.64 million additional smokers tried to quit and about 220,000 remained abstinent at follow-up (McAfee et al., 2013).

Takeaway for My Own Work

Tips shows that real stories, plain words and a clear next step can move a large audience. When I design health messages, I will pair any warning with a specific, easy action.

References

Kutner, M., Greenberg, E., Jin, Y., & Paulsen, C. (2006). The health literacy of America's adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NCES 2006-483). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

McAfee, T., Davis, K. C., Alexander, R. L., Jr., Pechacek, T. F., & Bunnell, R. (2013). Effect of the first federally funded US antismoking national media campaign. The Lancet, 382(9909), 2003-2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61686-4

Witte, K. (1992). Putting the fear back into fear appeals: The extended parallel process model. Communication Monographs, 59(4), 329-349. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637759209376276

Reading the HSC 310 Module 3 assignment instructions

Health Communication in the Wild #1 in HSC 310 is worth 20 points and falls in Module 3, which covers knowing the audience, simplifying language and the social determinants of health. Find a real example of health communication, such as an advertisement, poster, video, website or social media post from a credible organization, and analyze how well it applies course concepts. Give enough concrete detail that someone unfamiliar with the example could imagine it, then analyze its audience, message, language, channels and equity, and support your points with course material or research. Check Canvas for the instructor's required questions, format and length before you begin. Choose an example recent enough that its sponsor still describes it publicly, which makes it easier to find evaluations, audience descriptions and the full advertisement for your analysis.

Inside the HSC 310 Module 3 example

The sample describes one advertisement in concrete detail, then analyzes it under headings that match the module's topics: audience, message and appeal, language, channels and equity. A theory of fear appeals is applied to one specific design choice, health literacy data explain why plain language matters for a national audience, and a section reports the campaign's measured effect on quit attempts. A short closing paragraph names one lesson the student will apply to their own messages. Every claim about effect comes from the published evaluation, and the analysis stays balanced by naming the stigma risk of fear-based messages. Plain headings mirror the module's own topics.

Reading the HSC 310 Module 3 grading rubric

Graders weigh four things for these 20 points: that the example is real and clearly described, that the analysis uses course concepts rather than personal opinion alone, that both strengths and weaknesses are considered and that claims about effectiveness are supported. Marks drop when students summarize the example without analyzing it, when they pick an example that is not health communication, when they ignore the audience and when they make claims about results without evidence or citations. Instructors also reward analyses that connect at least one theory to a specific design choice and that consider who the example might not reach. Accurate description of the example matters too.

HSC 310 Module 3 help from the desk

Choose an example from a source you can cite, such as a government or nonprofit campaign, so you can find evidence about it. Watch or read it several times and take notes on exactly what is said and shown. Ask who it is for and how you know. Look for one theory from the course that explains a design choice. Search for an evaluation of the campaign. Balance praise with at least one limitation. If you are not sure your example fits, the desk can help you choose. Keep a screenshot or link to the example so your instructor can see it.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

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More HSC 310 and BS in Health Sciences sample papers

HSC 310 Module 3 questions, answered

Where can I find a free HSC 310 Module 3 sample paper?

The full HCW #1 analysis of the CDC's Tips From Former Smokers campaign is on this page.

What does Health Communication in the Wild ask for?

A real-world example of health communication and an analysis using course concepts.

Did the Tips From Former Smokers campaign work?

A national evaluation estimated 1.64 million additional quit attempts after the 2012 campaign.

When do fear appeals work in health communication?

When people feel both threatened and able to take a clear, effective action.

How many HCW assignments are in HSC 310?

Three, at 20 points each.