A community-engaged approach to lower obesity and diabetes via a social marketing campaign: The Brooklyn Partnership to Drive Down Diabetes (BP3D)

In 2010, the Brooklyn Partnership to Drive Down Diabetes (BP3D), a multi-faceted, public health intervention, was formed to reduce obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Central Brooklyn and East New York, Brooklyn, two of the most disenfranchised neighborhoods in New York City (NYC).

In 2011, with the support of community members/leaders, local organizations, and researchers, BP3D conducted formative research to create a community-engaged social marketing campaign that would: 1) address the social determinants influencing obesity and T2D in the targeted communities and 2) increase involvement in BP3D. In preparation for the launch, four preliminary advertisements were drafted. Adult residents across the life-course contributed feedback on the concepts/messages, competing factors, and visual quality of the advertisements through either a community survey (n=258) or a formal focus group (n =7). Additional input was provided by twenty of the BP3D Community Coalition members.

The final advertisements encouraged healthier eating habits and advocated for better food access, and were posted throughout the NYC transit system (e.g. subway cars) as well as Facebook and Twitter on Labor Day in 2011 to correspond with Brooklyn Labor Day Parade, which has 2+ million attendees annually. Preliminary findings suggest an increased involvement in the diabetes, nutrition, and fitness programs offered by BP3D.

We will present the steps taken in successfully implementing the community-engaged social media campaign, the evaluation process, the role of our community partners, and the challenges. The community-approach taken by BP3D may serve informative for other urban settings disproportionately impacted by obesity and T2D.