The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66001

Vicki Beck, MS¹, Amanda Shaivitz, MPH¹, Grace Huang, MPH¹, William E. Pollard, PhD², and Trevor J. Johnson, MPH candidate2². (1) Hollywood, Health & Society, USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, 8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 650, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, 323-782-3315, vbeck@usc.edu, (2) Office of Communication, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., N.E, Mail Stop D42, Atlanta, GA 30333

Hispanics and African Americans experience a multitude of health disparities as compared to other groups. These include: lack of access to care, poor delivery and quality of care, and poor health habits and outcomes. Hispanics and African Americans are also at disproportionate risk for being uninsured, which may limit less access to timely public health information (CDC Office of Minority Health).

Traditional methods of reaching these populations have included print, TV, and radio PSAs, and news and interview programs. But evidence from international and domestic studies (Singhal and Rogers 1999; Usdin & Singhal et al, 2003), a radio soap opera in Nashville, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis of Healthstyles survey data (Beck & Pollard, 2001) suggests that Hispanics and African Americans are ready audiences for acting on health information in radio and TV storylines. Thus, popular television programs may offer an important health communication strategy to educate audiences about pro-social or pro-health behaviors.

This presentation will examine the development of an entertainment education program with TV shows popular among both general and minority audiences; viewing habits and impact of health storylines among these audiences; and strategies for working with writers and producers to encourage health topics and messages in TV storylines that are relevant to multicultural audiences.

CDC analysis of new Healthstyles survey data will be discussed and a CDC-funded program for entertainment education and public health will be highlighted as a resource for entertainment professionals in need of timely and accurate health information.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the TV viewing habits of African American and Hispanic audiences;
• List the components of an entertainment education program for public health that targets African American and Hispanic audiences;
• Assess the effectiveness of television storylines to reinforce health messages among Hispanic and African American audiences

Keywords: Health Disparities, Health Communications

Related Web page: www.entertainment.usc.edu/hhs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.