1. TheSocietyforPublicHealthEducation’sMedia
DisseminationEfforts
NICOLETTEWARRENPOWE,DRPH,MS,MCHES
Summary
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) was charged with communication and
dissemination activities and accomplishments of the National Implementation &
Dissemination for Chronic Disease Prevention Project. The project was created to implement,
evaluate and disseminate evidence- and practice-based community health activities. These
activities would build the national organizations’ capacity to implement population-based
strategies to prevent and reduce chronic diseases, reduce health disparities, and develop a
stronger evidence-base for effective local-level prevention program.
Meeting the media dissemination needs of five different organizations.
Thus elevating the programmatic needs of the National
Implementation & Dissemination for Chronic Disease Prevention
Project. Five organizations needed to share and buy into an integrated
approach to dissemination efforts. Each organization had different
ideas for the project and we needed to reach consensus on
dissemination activities and communication messages.
Challenge
This issue was addressed by identifying significant daily, weekly and monthly
national health observances that each organization would lead on behalf of the
entire group of five organizations. Each organization led these observances by
compiling a grab & go packet of information which included templates for news
releases, newsletter and/or blog articles, sample messages for various targeted
audiences, facts and information, graphics, and social media posts. These grab & go
packets were shared among the five organizations to adapt to their individual
organizational needs and audiences.
Solution

2. Results
These monthly observances kicked off in February 2016 with the American Heart
Association leading February’s American Heart Month. In March, SOPHE led celebration of
National Nutrition Month. In addition to the grab & go packets, SOPHE worked with a
communications consultant to develop and write a North American Precis Syndicate
(NAPS) news article, a news release and produce a radio message tour. To date, the NAPS
article has generated 2,384 news articles in 57 different states with a readership of
1,149,488 and was viewed online by more than 29 million unique visitors. The radio
produced 23 million impressions and aired on 756 radio stations nationwide. The news
release had 279,000 viewers. These efforts were further enhanced by creating a Top 10 list
of easy ways to nutritious eating, a Facebook pledge to eat healthy (2,071 pledges) and
tweets during the month on nutrition subject matter reaching an audience of more than
27,000.
The five organizations through the grab & go packets and other additional resources have
produced materials that can easily be used for years to come with easy updates to reflect
current guidelines and information. These resource materials and tools which are available
online to a wider national audience will support community-based activities focused on
smoke-free and/or tobacco-free environments, health food and beverage options, physical
activity opportunities and chronic disease prevention, and risk reduction or management
through clinical and community linkages.
Sustainable Success
pledges
2,071