Health communication, social media and interpersonal relationships, life span communication, and interpersonal issues in health communication
Dr. Wright received his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in 1999. His research focuses on social support processes and health outcomes in both face-to-face and computer-mediated contexts, provider-patient interaction, new technologies and health, social support and health provider burnout, as well as other health communication topics. In addition, Dr. Wright also conducts research on family health issues, social media and interpersonal relationships, and online research methods. He is the author or coauthor of eight books, including Health Communication in the 21st Century, Life Span Communication, and Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships. He has published over 115 articles and book chapters, and his research appears in numerous journals, including Communication Monographs, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Journal of Communication, Health Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Journal of Personal and Social Relationships, Communication Quarterly, Communication Studies, and several other publications. Dr. Wright served from 2007 to 2010 as editor of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication published by the International Communication Association. He also serves on numerous editorial boards of various communication journals, and he has presented over 150 papers at regional, national, and international communication conferences.
My current research projects include ongoing studies of online social support communities, family caregiver-patient relational issues in blood cancer and breast cancer contexts, social media campaigns targeting environmental breast cancer prevention, and social support for parents of children with developmental disabilities. My current research partners include the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the University of Florida, and collaborations with scholars at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Wright, K. B., Bylund, C.L., Vasquez, T. S.; Mullis, M. D.; Sae-Hau, M., Weiss, E.S.; Bagautdinova, D., Fisher, C.L. (2023). Adult-child caregivers’ family communication experiences after an older parent’s blood cancer diagnosis: A survey exploring their openness, avoidance, and social support. Cancers, 15, 3177.https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15123177
Bagautdinova, D., Bacharz, K. C., Sae-Hau, M., Weiss, E. S., Rajotte, M., Lincoln, G., Vasquez, T. S., Parker, N., Wright, K. B., & Fisher, C. L. (2023). Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) caregiving and related resource needs. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(4), 1648, doi: 10.3390/jcm12041648 (Impact Factor: 4.96)
Wright, K. B., & Davidson-Mhonde, R. (2022). Faith-based community members, family, and COVID-19: The role of family cohesion, social support, and spiritual support on quality of life, depression, and COVID-19 prevention behaviors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 12267. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph191912267 (Impact Factor: 4.61)
Malterud, A., Hamidi, E., Muckerman, M., Ahmad, A., Freeman, L., Weber, F., Latif, A., Keuppers, G., & Wright, K. B. (2022). U.S. immigrants and mental health: An investigation of the influence of mental health stigma and discrimination on stress and depression and affordances associated with using online mental health applications and online support groups. Southern Communication Journal, 87(3), 206-219. https://doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2022.2071975
Campbell-Salome. G., Fisher, C. L., Wright, K. B., Lincoln, G., Applebaum, A. J., Sae Hau, M., Weiss. E. S., & Bylund, C. (2022). The impact of the family communication environment on cancer caregiving: Implications for coping and clinical communication for caregivers of a parent with a blood cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5910
Egbert, N., Wright, K. B., & Zhang, X. (2021). Motivated and able: When is Facebook used to seek friendship and social support? Journal of American College Health, doi: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1953029
Wright, K. B., Riemann, W., & Fisher, C. L. (2021). Work-life-imbalance during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring social support behavior and health outcomes. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 50, 54-69. DOI: 10.1080/00909882.2021.1965186
Fisher, C. L., Wright, K. B., Vazquez, T. S., Kastrinos, A. L., Applebaum, A. J., Sae-Hau, M., Weiss, E. S., Lincoln, G. & Bylund, C. (2021). Blood cancer caregiving during COVID-19: Understanding caregivers’ needs. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 11(5), 187–1197. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibab021
Mason, A., Wright, K. B., & Lambert, L. (2021). Understanding the impacts of emerging infectious disease (EID) media exposure: The case of U.S. Ebola virus disease (EVD). Journal of Communication and Healthcare, 14(1), 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538068.2021.1877603
Wright, K. B., Cai, X., Fisher, C. L., Rising, C. J., Burke-Garcia, A., & Afanaseva, D. (2020). A content analysis of social support messages about environmental breast cancer risk within blogs for mothers. Health Communication, 36(13), 1-9. doi:10.1080/10410236.2020.1800241 Impact Factor: 2.43
Fisher, C. L., Wright, K. B., Rising, C. J., Cai, X., Mullis, M. D., Burke-Garcia, A., & Afanaseva, D. (2020). Helping mothers and daughters talk about environmental breast cancer risk-reducing lifestyle behaviors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), 4757. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134757
Fisher, C. L., Wright, K. B., Rising, C., Mullins, D., Afanaseva, D., Burke-Garcia, A. & Cai, X. (2019). Culturally appropriate breast cancer and environmental risk messages targeting racially and ethnically diverse mothers. Journal of Cancer Education, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01626-y
Yeshua-Katz, D., Rains, S. A., Peterson, E. B., & Wright, K. B. (2019). Digital stigma coping strategies: A meta-analytic review of the association between health-related stigma dimensions and social support messages shared online. The Information Society, 36(1), 19-29.
Canzona, M. R., Fisher, C. L., Wright, K. B., Ledford, C. J. W. (2019). Talking about sexual health during survivorship: Understanding what shapes breast cancer survivors’ willingness to communicate with providers. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 13(6), 932-942. Impact Factor: 3.58
Wright, K. B., Fisher, C. L., Rising, C. J., Afanaseva, D., Burke-Garcia, A., & Cai, X. (2019). Partnering with mommy bloggers to disseminate breast cancer risk information: A social media intervention. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(3), e12441. doi:10.2196/12441 Impact Factor: 4.67
Burke-Garcia, A., & Wright, K. B. (2018). The “real world”? Effects of online communication about prostate cancer on offline communication. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 16, 388-395. Impact Factor: 4.15
Liu, D., Wright, K. B., & Hu, B. (2018). A meta-analysis of social network site use and social support. Computers & Education, 127, 201-213. Impact Factor: 4.54
Rising, C., Bol, N., Rains, S. R, Burke-Garcia, A., & Wright, K. B. (2017). Perceived stress in online prostate cancer community participants: Examining relationships with stigmatization, social support network preference, and social support seeking. Journal of Health Communication, 20 (6), 469-476.
van Ingen, E. J., Rains, S. A., & Wright, K. B. (2017). Does social network site use buffer against well-being loss when older adults face reduced functional ability? Computers in Human Behavior, 70, 168-177.
Wright, K., Mazzone, R., Oh, H., Du, J., Smithson, A., Ryan, MacNeil, D., Ryan, D., et al. (2016). The influence of U.S. chain restaurant food consumption and obesity in China and South Korea: An ecological perspective of food consumption, self-efficacy in weight management, willingness to communicate about weight/diet, and depression. Health Communication, 31, 1356-1366.
van Ingen, E. J., & Wright, K. B. (2016). Predictors of mobilizing online coping versus offline coping resources after negative life events. Computers in Human Behavior, 59, 431-439.
Rains, S., Peterson, E., & Wright, K. B. (2015). Communicating social support in computer mediated contexts (CMC): A meta-analytic review of content analyses examining support messages shared online. Communication Monographs, 82, 403-430.
Mason, A., & Wright, K. B. (2015). The lifecycle of a virus: The infectious disease narrative of NDM-1. Journal of Health Communication, 20, 43-50.
LeRouge, C., Van Slyke, C., Seale, D., & Wright, K. (2014). Baby boomers’ adoption of consumer health technologies: Survey on readiness and barriers. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16, e.200. (Impact Factor 4.7)
Wright, K., Abdenschein, B., Wombacher, K., O’Connor, M., Hoffman, M., Krull, C., Dempsey, M., Dewes, A. (2014). Work-related communication technology use outside of regular work hours and work life conflict: The influence of communication technologies on perceived work life conflict, burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Management Communication Quarterly, 28, 507-530. (Impact Factor 1.44)
Lee, H., Wright, K. B., Wombacher, K., & O’Connor, M. (2014). Framing medical tourism: Assessment of the procedures, appeals, risks, and interactivity in medical tourism websites. Health Communication, 7, 637-645.
Rozzell, B., Piercy, C., Carr, C., King, S., Lane, B., Tornes, M., Johnson, A., & Wright, K. (2014). Notification pending: Online social support from close and nonclose relational ties via Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 38, 272-280.
Nicotera, A. M., Mahon, M. M., & Wright, K. B. (2014). Communication that builds teams: Assessing a nursing conflict intervention. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 38, 248-260.
Wright, K. B., & Rains, S. (2013). Weak tie support preference and preferred coping style as predictors of perceived credibility within health-related computer-mediated support groups. Health Communication, 29, 281-287.
Wright, K. B., King, S., & Rosenberg, J. (2013). Functions of social support and self-verification in association with loneliness, depression, and stress. Journal of Health Communication, 19, 82-89.
Wright, K. B., & Rains, S. (2013). Weak-tie support network preference, stigma, and health outcomes in computer-mediated support groups. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 41, 309-324.
Jensen, M., Averbeck, J., Zhang, Z., & Wright, K. B. (2013). Credibility of anonymous online product reviews: A language expectancy perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 30, 307-338.
Wright, K. B., Rosenberg, J., Egbert, N., Ploeger, N., Bernard, D. R., & King, S. (2013). Communication competence, social support, and depression among college students. A model of Facebook and face-to-face support network influence. Journal of Health Communication, 18, 41-57.
Title: Using targeted social media to communicate culturally sensitive and interactive environmental risk information about breast cancer to mothers
Role: Principal Investigator/Project Director: Kevin B. Wright, Ph.D.
$344,901
Funding Period: 6/01/17 – 6/01/19
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH Program: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Award #1R21ES027417-01
Title: Collaborative research: Modeling the efficacy of inventory for extreme event preparedness decision making in interdependent systems.
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator: Kash Barker, Ph.D.
Funding Period: 8/15/09 - 8/15/11
$239,225
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
NSF Program: Infrastructure Management and Extreme Events
Award #0927299
COMM 650 Graduate Research Methods
COMM 304 Health Communication
COMM 301 Interpersonal Communication
COMM 634 Interpersonal Communication Theory
COMM 705 Intercultural Health and Risk Communication
COMM 706 Seminar in Strategic Communication
COMM 798 Thesis
COMM 820 Health Communication Campaigns
Ph.D. (1999). University of Oklahoma
M.A. (1995). California State University Chico
B.A. (1992). San Francisco State University
Fisher, C. L., Wright, K. B., Rising, C., Mullins, D., Afanaseva, D., Burke-Garcia, A. & Cai, X. (2019). Culturally appropriate breast cancer and environmental risk messages targeting racially and ethnically diverse mothers. Journal of Cancer Education, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01626-y
Yeshua-Katz, D., Rains, S. A., Peterson, E. B., & Wright, K. B. (2019). Digital stigma coping strategies: A meta-analytic review of the association between health-related stigma dimensions and social support messages shared online. The Information Society, 36(1), 19-29.
Canzona, M. R., Fisher, C. L., Wright, K. B., Ledford, C. J. W. (2019). Talking about sexual health during survivorship: Understanding what shapes breast cancer survivors’ willingness to communicate with providers. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 13(6), 932-942. Impact Factor: 3.58
Wright, K. B., Fisher, C. L., Rising, C. J., Afanaseva, D., Burke-Garcia, A., & Cai, X. (2019). Partnering with mommy bloggers to disseminate breast cancer risk information: A social media intervention. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(3), e12441. doi:10.2196/12441 Impact Factor: 4.67
Burke-Garcia, A., & Wright, K. B. (2018). The “real world”? Effects of online communication about prostate cancer on offline communication. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 16, 388-395. Impact Factor: 4.15
Liu, D., Wright, K. B., & Hu, B. (2018). A meta-analysis of social network site use and social support. Computers & Education, 127, 201-213. Impact Factor: 4.54
Burke-Garcia, A., Kreps, G. L., & Wright, K. B. (2018). Perceptions about disseminating health information among mommy bloggers: Quantitative study. JMIR Research Protocols, 7(4), e116. DOI: 10.2196/resprot.7764
Rising, C. J., Bol, N., Rains, S. R, Burke-Garcia, A., & Wright, K. B. (2017). Perceived stress in online prostate cancer community participants: Examining relationships with stigmatization, social support network preference, and social support seeking. Journal of Health Communication, 20 (6), 469-476. Impact Factor: 1.64
Wright, K. B., & van Ingen, E. J. (2016). Predictors of the quality of relationships in health-related online support groups: A study of attitudinal similarity, degree of online participation, and personal characteristics. Paper presented at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Rising, C., Wright, K. B., Bol, N., Burke-Garcia, A., & Rains, S. R. (2016). Perceived stress in online prostate cancer community participants: Examining relationships with stigmatization, weak-tie support preference, and social support seeking. Paper presented at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Rising, C., Fisher, C. L., Roccotagliata, T., & Wright, K. B. (2016). “My prostate cancer has affected my family in many ways”: Men’s perspectives about the effect of prostate cancer on family life. Paper presented at the annual International Psycho Oncology Congress (IPOS) Conference, Dublin, Ireland.
Wright, K. B. (2016). Social support and coping with stress in the urban environment: The role of new communication technologies. Paper presented at the annual International Communication Association Convention, Fukuoka, Japan.
Rising, C., Wright, K. B., Bol, N., & Burke-Garcia, A. (2016). Prostate cancer-related stigma, age, weak-tie support preference, online support, and health outcomes. Paper presented at the annual International Communication Association Convention, Fukuoka, Japan.
Wright, K. B. (2015). The influence of U.S. chain restaurant food consumption and obesity in China and South Korea: An ecological perspective of food consumptions, self-efficacy in weight management, willingness to communicate about weight/diet, and depression. Paper presented at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Las Vegas, NV.
Wright, K. B., & Nicotera, A. M. (2015). Conflict, social support and burnout/turnover among health care workers: A review of developments in organizational conflict theory and practice. Paper presented at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Las Vegas, NV.
Alpert, J. M., Desens, L., Kreps, G. L., & Wright, K. B. (2015). Measuring the clarity of an online health portal using the CDC’s Clear Communication Index. Paper presented at the annual National Communication Association Convention, Las Vegas, NV.
van Ingen, E. J., & Wright, K. B. (2015). Predictors of mobilizing online coping versus offline coping resources after negative life events. Paper presented at the annual International Communication Association Convention, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Rains, S., Peterson, E., & Wright, K. B. (2015). Communicating social support in computer mediated contexts (CMC): A meta-analytic review of content analyses examining support messages shared online. Paper presented at the annual International Communication Association Convention, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Andie S. Malterud, Exploring Source Credibility and Message Theme Impacts: Developing E-Cigarette Health Message for College Students (2021)
Deanne C. Canieso, Exploring Expectancy Violations and Emotions in Computer-Mediated Communication: A Mixed Method, Hybrid Approach to Content Analysis of Online Mental Health Messages (2021)
Camella J. Rising , Fathers’ and Sons’ Communication Behaviors in Response to Prostate Cancer and Familial Risk: Motivations, Challenges, and Approaches in the PSA Era (2018)
Amelia Burke-Garcia, Opinion Leaders for Health: Formative Research with Bloggers about Health Information Dissemination (2017)
Raphael Mazzone, Judging a Book by its Cover: Identity, Homeless, and the Public Library (2017)
Hyunkyung Oh, How Political Disagreement Leads To Participation: Comparing The First-Time Voters In The Case of 2014 Midterm (2015)