👋 Hi there! Welcome to my website.

👋 Hi there,

I'm Mengfei Guan.

Welcome to my website!

I am an Assistant Professor in Health and Risk Communication at the University of Oklahoma. I obtained my Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Georgia, with emphases in health communication and quantitative research methods.

I study how to create effective messages for positive behavior change in the realms of health, risk, and science communication.

My research seeks to bridge communication theory and public health to understand how message strategies can shape people’s perceptions of health risk, responses to health information, and desires to take action. I also study the impact of audience characteristics on message processing, information seeking, and communication about social determinants of health.

More recently, my research employs a community-based approach by putting the “COMM” in COMMunity and empowering individuals with knowledge and skills to live healthier lives.

Featured Research

Narratives, Numbers, and Nudges

Improving vaccination rates isn’t just about what we say. It’s about how we say it. This study asks a crucial question in health promotion: Are narratives always the most persuasive? The answer depends on where people are in their decision-making journey. Sometimes, right facts at the right time can be just as, if not more, effective in promoting health behavior change.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Public health messages are meant to inform and protect. But what happens when people get tired of hearing them? This study explores message fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we examine how it leads to tuning out, pushing back, and losing interest in preventive behavior. Because when the message is too much, even the right advice can fall flat.

Support Beyond the Clinic

Health care doesn’t start and stop in the exam room. This study reveals how social support can empower women with breast cancer to speak up, ask questions, and take an active role in their treatment. It’s not just what doctors say that matters, but how prepared patients feel to respond. Feeling supported outside the clinic helps patients participate more fully inside it.

Framing the Time

Some of us think far ahead. Others focus on what’s right in front of us. This study explores how tailoring health messages to people’s time orientation can make risk feel more relevant and persuasive. When message and mindset align, the path to healthy action becomes clearer. Understanding how we process time may be key to unlocking more effective health communication.