Barton Matthew J, Okada Mari, Todorovic Michael
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia.
Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffth University, Southport, Queensland, Australia.
Anat Sci Educ. 2025 Apr 28. doi: 10.1002/ase.70037.
Podcasts have rapidly emerged as a powerful tool for health communication, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. While evidence shows that podcasts can enhance student knowledge, confidence, and flexibility in learning, their educational impact is primarily studied within formal academic contexts. Despite their popularity and potential, little is known about how bioscience-focused health podcasts engage broader audiences beyond structured health education programs. Limited research examines who listens, why they choose podcasts, and how this format influences their learning or behavior. To address this, we used a mixed-methods approach comprising a scoping review and an exploratory online survey. The scoping review, following PRISMA guidelines, identified 14 eligible studies published between 2008 and 2024. The survey, distributed via social media and Dr. Matt & Dr. Mike's Medical Education Podcast, captured responses from 226 participants-predominantly aged 25-34 and mostly from the USA-with two-thirds enrolled in health programs. Participants cited access to expert insights, enjoyment, and the ability to multitask as key reasons for podcast use. Content relevance and presenter expertise were rated the most important factors when selecting a health podcast. The preferred episode length was 30-60 min. On average, participants rated the impact of podcasts on their health knowledge at 4.22 out of 5, with 58% reporting changes in health-related behaviors. These findings suggest that podcasts offer a flexible, engaging way to communicate bioscience-focused health content and support learning across diverse audiences. Educators should consider listener motivations and preferences when integrating podcasts into educational practice.
播客已迅速成为健康传播的有力工具，尤其是自新冠疫情以来。虽然有证据表明播客可以提高学生的知识水平、增强他们的信心并提升学习的灵活性，但对其教育影响的研究主要是在正式的学术背景下进行的。尽管播客很受欢迎且具有潜力，但对于以生物科学为重点的健康播客如何吸引结构化健康教育项目之外的更广泛受众，人们却知之甚少。有限的研究考察了听众是谁、他们选择播客的原因以及这种形式如何影响他们的学习或行为。为了解决这个问题，我们采用了一种混合方法，包括范围综述和探索性在线调查。范围综述遵循PRISMA指南，确定了2008年至2024年期间发表的14项符合条件的研究。该调查通过社交媒体和《马特博士与迈克博士的医学教育播客》进行分发，收集了226名参与者的回复，这些参与者主要年龄在25 - 34岁之间，大多来自美国，其中三分之二参加了健康项目。参与者提到能够获取专家见解、享受其中以及能够同时处理多项任务是使用播客的主要原因。在选择健康播客时，内容相关性和主播专业知识被评为最重要的因素。 preferred episode length was 30-60 min. On average, participants rated the impact of podcasts on their health knowledge at 4.22 out of 5, with 58% reporting changes in health-related behaviors. These findings suggest that podcasts offer a flexible, engaging way to communicate bioscience-focused health content and support learning across diverse audiences. Educators should consider listener motivations and preferences when integrating podcasts into educational practice.
偏好的节目时长为30 - 60分钟。平均而言，参与者对播客对他们健康知识的影响评分为4.22（满分5分），58%的人报告称健康相关行为发生了变化。这些发现表明，播客提供了一种灵活、引人入胜的方式来传播以生物科学为重点的健康内容，并支持不同受众的学习。教育工作者在将播客融入教育实践时应考虑听众的动机和偏好。
