Conceptual Foundations and Thematic Frameworks of Individual Empowerment in Health Communication: A Systematic Review

The primary aim of this study was to systematically review and analyze conceptualizations of individual empowerment in health communication research published over the past 20 years, with the objective of identifying and comparing thematic frameworks and clarifying how different conceptual approaches are grounded, overlap, and diverge. The conducted systematic review followed the analytical procedure described in the PRISMA-Protocol and was based on a total sample of 66 research papers. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to examine conceptualizations of individual empowerment by identifying recurring terminology, cited sources, key dimensions, preconditions, outcomes, and power relations reflected in the definitions of individual empowerment. Such analysis enabled us to group the studies into overarching thematic frameworks and the identification of overlaps, convergences and divergences between them. The analysis revealed seven thematic frameworks that underpin conceptualizations of individual empowerment within health communication: (1) community psychology, (2) the health care empowerment model, (3) health promotion and education, (4) health psychology and psychiatry, (5) health management and workplace empowerment, (6) women's empowerment, and (7) the World Health Organization framework. Individual empowerment is consistently conceptualized as a dynamic, multidimensional, process-oriented construct, but differs in being framed as an individual, relational, or structural phenomenon. Many studies draw on multiple conceptual traditions, indicating interconnected frameworks. The results highlight conceptual diversity while revealing gaps, particularly the limited attention to structural dimensions of power. The findings provide a more structured understanding of empowerment to inform future research, policy, and context-sensitive interventions.