How to Write Health Articles
Health is a concept that has multiple definitions, ranging from a narrow biomedical or physical definition of a state of absence of negative biologic circumstances (altered DNA, abnormal physiologic states, disease, or injury) to the World Health Organization’s broad definition of “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This latter approach expands earlier conceptualizations of health to include dimensions beyond the medically defined illness/disease paradigm. It also underscores the importance of health in people’s lives and capacities to realize aspirations and satisfy needs; to adapt to changing circumstances; and to contribute to the overall wellbeing of communities.
Writing health articles is a difficult task because the information must be accurate but also compelling to keep readers engaged. A good starting point is to define your target audience—who are the people that you want to reach with your health articles? Identifying the audience can help you decide which topics to cover and which words to use. This will ensure that your articles are readable and understandable to the reader.
Once you’ve determined your audience, you can start identifying some health topics that might be of interest to them. This will require some research, as you’ll need to find out what is happening in the area that you’re covering. This could be as simple as looking for current news reports or published studies that might be related to your topic. It can also be a matter of keeping up with the latest trends, such as a rise in hospitalizations or an increase in COVID-19 cases.
As you start to look for health topics that might be of interest to your audience, try to avoid any that have the potential to become controversial. It’s best to stay away from opinion pieces or even stories that seem like they’ll contain an opinion, as these can cause your article to be read as biased or untrustworthy by the reader.
The next step is to research the topic that you’ve chosen thoroughly. This can take some time, but it’s crucial if you want to be able to write an informative, engaging article that will draw in your readership. Be sure to cite any information that you have used, especially when it comes to statistics or data. It’s much more effective to cite sources than to simply present your own interpretation of the information, as this will give your article a more authoritative feel. Also, make sure that you are using balanced language when describing the results of a study or survey. For example, rather than saying ‘the vast majority of people who use medication Y do not experience side effects,’ it is more balanced to say that ‘of the 70,000 Americans who have taken medication Y, approximately 4.7% report experiencing side effects’. This will help your article to remain objective and credible. It will also allow you to back up your statements with evidence and reduce the likelihood of accusations of bias or unreliable sources.
Health is a concept that has multiple definitions, ranging from a narrow biomedical or physical definition of a state of absence of negative biologic circumstances (altered DNA, abnormal physiologic states, disease, or injury) to the World Health Organization’s broad definition of “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This latter approach expands earlier conceptualizations of health to include dimensions beyond the medically defined illness/disease paradigm. It also underscores the importance of health in people’s lives and capacities to realize aspirations and satisfy needs; to adapt to changing circumstances; and to contribute to the overall wellbeing of communities. Writing health articles is a difficult task because the information must be accurate but also compelling to keep readers engaged. A good starting point is to define your target audience—who are the people that you want to reach with your health articles? Identifying the audience can help you decide which topics to cover and which words to use. This will ensure that your articles are readable and understandable to the reader. Once you’ve determined your audience, you can start identifying some health topics that might be of interest to them. This will require some research, as you’ll need to find out what is happening in the area that you’re covering. This could be as simple as looking for current news reports or published studies that might be related to your topic. It can also be a matter of keeping up with the latest trends, such as a rise in hospitalizations or an increase in COVID-19 cases. As you start to look for health topics that might be of interest to your audience, try to avoid any that have the potential to become controversial. It’s best to stay away from opinion pieces or even stories that seem like they’ll contain an opinion, as these can cause your article to be read as biased or untrustworthy by the reader. The next step is to research the topic that you’ve chosen thoroughly. This can take some time, but it’s crucial if you want to be able to write an informative, engaging article that will draw in your readership. Be sure to cite any information that you have used, especially when it comes to statistics or data. It’s much more effective to cite sources than to simply present your own interpretation of the information, as this will give your article a more authoritative feel. Also, make sure that you are using balanced language when describing the results of a study or survey. For example, rather than saying ‘the vast majority of people who use medication Y do not experience side effects,’ it is more balanced to say that ‘of the 70,000 Americans who have taken medication Y, approximately 4.7% report experiencing side effects’. This will help your article to remain objective and credible. It will also allow you to back up your statements with evidence and reduce the likelihood of accusations of bias or unreliable sources.