Theorizing communication and health1

Abstract
Communication in health and illness constitutes one of the most vital of human experiences. Because of this, the relatively new area of health communication studies has much promise to further our understanding of basic human communication processes. Three theoretical statements published in this issue and authored by Klingle, Geist and Gates, and Witte et al., provide a starting point for analyzing the potential of communication and health studies. Using a framework suggested by our own models of the problematic integration of probability and value judgments and the management of uncertainty, we offer a brief assessment of these theories. Each of the perspectives offers distinctive and potentially valuable contributions to the development of health communication theory.