Elizabeth Johnson-Young

Assistant Professor of Communication University of Mary Washington

  • Fredericksburg VA

Elizabeth Johnson-Young is an expert on health communication, especially maternal and family health, and media.

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University of Mary Washington

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Spotlight

2 min

Oh, Ozempic … Is THIN Back In?

After decades of what seemed like progress away from the obsession for “wellies” and “thigh gaps” the thin-is-in mentality seems to be creeping back into the spotlight to weigh on women’s minds – especially on social media. Channeling the renewed fascination with and focus on slimness, University of Mary Washington Assistant Professor of Communication Emily Crosby, and Associate Professors of Communication Adria Goldman and Elizabeth Johnson-Young, presented a talk titled "Social Media and the Changing Current of Health Messaging and Debates." Crosby's presentation, "Ozempic is Cheating!: Articulating a Digital Turn in Diet Culture," looks at the discourse surrounding Ozempic on social media. Employing feminist rhetorical criticism, Crosby analyzes posts and commentary to identify themes and conventions of analog and digital diet culture. This research articulates the digital turn in the "cult of thinness," to expose how medical injectable weight loss drugs undermine the body positive movement by invoking clinical technology as ethos. Goldman's presentation, "#SocialSupport: Examining the Informative and Emotional Functions of Bariatric Surgery Support Groups on Facebook," investigates the functions of digital support groups in assisting with mental well-being and emotional regulation for people considering, undergoing or recuperating from weight loss surgery. This research examines Facebook’s ability to function as both an informative and emotional resource for the bariatric surgery community. Johnson-Young's presentation, "Sugar, Snacks and Weight: An Examination of Posts and Parent Reactions to the Challenges of Nutritional Health Norms on the Growing Intuitive Eaters Instagram," examined posts and comments on an influencer's account. The research is rooted in both health behavior theory and non-evaluative and trust-based communication around food and nutrition. Preliminary findings show a variety of themes regarding reactions to the influencer's posts, from anger and resistance to relief and excitement. Weight loss, wellness and the enormous amount of attention this topic is getting has journalists looking for answers.  And if you're covering or are looking to know more we can help. All three University of Mary Washington experts are available to speak with media simply click on an icon now to arrange an interview today.

Elizabeth Johnson-YoungEmily Deering CrosbyAdria Goldman

1 min

#Expert Insight: Let’s Talk About Maternal and Postpartum Health

With increased maternal mortality rates in the news, and births involving inductions and csections on the rise despite their risks, Elizabeth Johnson-Young asks: 'What communication choices and strategies do women use after a negative birth experience?' Many women define certain aspects of childbirth as traumatic – from a mother or child’s life being put at risk to a host of less serious circumstances that can cause an unfavorable natal experience – and that can pose a threat to mental health. Who will they trust next when it comes to their maternal healthcare and their future decisions regarding birth? Johnson-Young’s project, “Birth, Trauma, and Communicating Maternal Health,” uses in-depth interviews of women who define their birth experience as difficult or traumatic. It focuses on choices and perceptions, and discusses the potential outcomes of listening, language and support. This is an important topic for health care providers, families and mothers and if you are looking to know more then let us help. Dr. Elizabeth Johnson-Young is a published expert on health communication, especially maternal and family health. She is ready to help if you are looking to cover this topic simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.

Elizabeth Johnson-Young

1 min

Covering World Breastfeeding Week? Our experts are here to help

August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week, and the University of Mary Washington has the ideal expert for any journalist looking to learn more or cover this important topic. Did you know that breastfeeding is one of the top maternal priorities for many organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? Assistant Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young has done extensive research on women’s intentions to breastfeed and how the communication they receive during pregnancy and postpartum from various sources such as doctors, lactation consultants, friends and family, magazines, books and parenting groups can impact the decision to breastfeed. She's also explored the connections between breastfeeding and body satisfaction. Dr. Elizabeth Johnson-Young is a published expert on health communication, especially maternal and family health. She is ready to help if you are looking to cover this topic simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.

Elizabeth Johnson-Young

Media

Social

Biography

Breastfeeding books and brochures, prenatal yoga classes and pregnancy advertisements often become familiar and even trusted sources of information for expectant parents. But for Assistant Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young, they provide a treasure trove of insight for her research, which centers on health communication, family and media.

Dr. Johnson-Young’s recent work has focused on maternal and family health, including breastfeeding intentions, pregnancy body image and pediatrician-parent communication regarding safety and health, especially when it comes to firearms.

She seeks answers to questions like: What is the common media content regarding the topic? How are people talking about the issue, in both face-to-face and interactive media situations? What is the impact of media and communication on the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of the people involved? Using mostly quantitative and qualitative social science methods, Dr. Johnson-Young researches how and why people use media, what the media content and landscape is, the role of interpersonal communication, and how those and other communication forms impact health perceptions and behaviors.

At UMW, Dr. Johnson-Young has taught courses on communication research methods, public communication campaigns, health communication, gender and communication, and small group.

Areas of Expertise

Gender and Communication
Media Content
Small Group Communication
Public Communication Campaigns
Communication Research Methods
Public Speaking
Health Communication
Pregnancy Body Image and the Media

Accomplishments

UMW Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Faculty Award

2019

Education

North Carolina State University

Ph.D.

Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media

2015

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

M.A.

Communication

2010

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

B.A.

Media Studies, Political Science

2006

Affiliations

  • Journal of Health Communication
  • Health Communication
  • Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Sex Roles
  • Kentucky Journal of Communication
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Event Appearances

“The Situation is a Lot More Nuanced Than That”: A Qualitative Analysis of Women’s Mental Health in the Humor and Music of ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.’

National Communication Association (Feminist and Gender Studies Division)  Virtual Conference

Normalizing Women's Mental Illness and Mental Health Conversations: An Analysis of Humor and Music in 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.'

Pop Culture Association (Gender and Media Studies Division), Philadelphia, PA.  

Understanding Pediatric Residents’ Communication Decisions Regarding Anticipatory Guidance About Firearms

National Communication Association (Health Communication Division)  Baltimore, Maryland

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Articles

Understanding Pediatric Residents’ Communication Decisions Regarding Anticipatory Guidance About Firearms

Journal of Health Communication

2020-03-30

In 2014, guns were the second leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S. and it was previously found that approximately 33% of children live in homes with a firearm (Schuster et al., 2000).

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Assessment of Pediatric Residents’ Attitudes toward Anticipatory Counseling on Gun Safety

Children

2019-09-08

Guns remain a major cause of injury and death among children. We determined pediatric residents’ familiarity with gun safety campaigns and their gun safety counseling practices.

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The CSR paradox: When a social responsibility campaign can tarnish a brand

Corporate Communications: An International Journal

2019
The purpose of this paper is to explore the corporate social responsibility (CSR) paradox, when a social campaign hurts the sponsoring brand even while raising concern for the campaign issue.

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