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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Dominique G. Ruggieri, MA¹, Sarah Bauerle Bass, PhD, MPH¹, Brenda Seals, PhD, MPH¹, and Elizabeth J. Leebron, PhD². (1) Department of Public Health, Temple University, 1700 N. Broad Street, Room 304, Philadelphia, PA 19122, 215-479-1227, dgr@temple.edu, (2) Department of Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media, Temple University, 2020 N. 13th Street, Tomlinson Hall, Room 214, Philadelphia, PA 19122

Recent terrorist attacks and the Gulf Coast hurricanes have reinforced the need to expand and improve communication training for public health workers and first responders. Although the role of the ″social marketer″ has not been traditionally applied to risk communication research, the skills of the marketer in delivering messages is the key to successful communication.

This paper presents qualitative results from a series of focus groups conducted with public health workers and first responders. The focus group discussions were directed at understanding the workers' attitudes and levels of self-efficacy about being ″social marketers″ in times of disasters in order to make recommendations for improving responder communication training. Results revealed that most responders indicated discomfort with speaking about many emergency issues, in general (e.g. anthrax, smallpox, and sarin gas poisonings). Participants also expressed that they would feel very uncomfortable speaking to the media, in particular.

In the event of a disaster, local responders are clearly not prepared in terms of their ability to communicate to the media and public, yet much can be done to fill this gap. Results from this study informed the development and implementation of a risk communication training program for public health workers. Tailored media preparedness and camera-readiness training for public health workers and local police is needed beyond this demonstration period.

Learning Objectives:

• · To recognize the impact of first responders as “social marketers” on emergency risk communication
• · To understand attitudes and levels of self-efficacy during emergency events among public health workers and first responders about the “social marketing” roles that they play
• · To learn the value of qualitative feedback in tailoring a risk communication and media-readiness training program

Keywords: Social Marketing, Risk Communication

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 58.0 kb)