Leticia (Leti) Couto is an assistant professor at the public relations and advertising department. She went to the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas for her B.S. in Journalism focusing on strategic communication, and she completed her M.A. and Ph.D. education in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University.
Leti's research focuses on health communication, particularly where substance use and mental health are concerned, with strong emphasis on theory-driven message development efforts. She has published her work in outlets such as the Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, among others. She has served as a reviewer for Journal of Adolescent Health, Computers in Human Behavior, Health Communication, and many other outlets.
Leti and her husband have an adorable Boston Terrier that is their pride and joy. During her free time, Leti likes to read fiction, game, and find new shows to binge.
Selected Publications
Couto, L., Hust, S. J., Nickerson, C., & Robinson-Tay, K. (2025). The Role of Exposure to Depictions of Bystander Intervention on Crime Dramas and Reality Dating Television on Bystander Intervention Behavior. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605251355974
Couto, L. (2025) The development of an Instagram reel-based bystander intervention message among college students: Formative survey and pilot testing. JMIR Formative Research, 9(1), e66769. https://doi.org/10.2196/66769
Hust, S.J.T., Willoughby, J.F., Couto, L., Kang, S., Nickerson, C., Price, R., Johnson, O., & Ross-Viles, S. (2025). Washington state teens' perceptions of cannabis-infused product packaging: A qualitative study. Journal of Health Communication, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2025.2514835
Willoughby, J. F., & Couto, L. (2025). Social media and fitness content: A mixed methods study of ecological momentary assessment as a health communication intervention among young women. Health Communication, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2025.2480685
Couto, L. & Willoughby, J. F. (2023). #LoveYourBody: An experimental test of the effects of objectification and body appreciation content on Instagram fitness and health posts on young women. Health Communication, 39(11), 2298–2306. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2265647