Understanding audience segments for diabetes prevention strategies and messages

The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), jointly sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, uses communication and marketing approaches to prevent diabetes and its complications, especially among populations with a disproportionate burden of diabetes. To ensure that NDEP's evidence-based strategies are consumer-focused, a variety of methods are used to collect audience information.

A variety of methods were used identify relevant audience segments and tailor prevention strategies and messages to people at high risk for diabetes. These included: literature searches; analysis of Porter Novelli's 2009 Stylesİ survey datasets, which examine attitudes, media and consumer behavior, and health beliefs, attitudes and behaviors; and focus groups in select segments. Communication, marketing, and behavior change theories helped guide the development and analysis.

This presentation will describe how audience segments were identified using theoretical and empirical literature and qualitative and quantitative audience data. Detailed descriptions will be provided for each segment examining differences by race/ethnicity, age, education level, and gender; relevant beliefs, attitudes, and practices; readiness to change; and use of communication channels. The presenter also will describe how the findings are being used to tailor communication strategies and messages to specific audience segments.

Tailoring strategies and messages to audience segments that matter (e.g., those who will respond differently to a strategy compared to other groups) has been shown to be important to obtain desired impact. Use of multiple audience research methods provided valuable information for tailoring diabetes prevention messages to relevant groups.