142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Using Facebook “Ask the Expert” forums to drive conversations about stopping violence before it starts: Government engagement through social media

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 11:24 AM - 11:42 AM

Alan Williams, BA , Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
Marie R. Ballman, MPH , Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
Nicole Soufi, BA , Health Communications, Westat, Rockville, MD
Julie Yegen , Health Communication, Westat, Rockville, MD
Amelia Burke-Garcia, MA , Health Communications, Westat, Rockville, MD
Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committed to preventing violence and injuries before they happen.  Facebook provides an opportunity to directly engage professionals and inform and enhance their violence prevention efforts.

Methods: CDC hosts week-long “Ask the Expert” forums on its VetoViolence Facebook page as a way to engage violence prevention professionals in real-time conversations. The forums feature experts from CDC and a co-sponsoring partner available to answer questions on a form of violence. The page increases themed content in a variety of compelling formats. CDC promotes forums through social media channels, email announcements, and partners.

Results: In 2013, the VetoViolence Facebook page hosted four forums. Forums encourage conversation around health observances and result in increased engagement and reach; for example, when comparing metrics from May (no forum) and June (forum held) 2013, total comments in June increased by 38%; likes by 58%; and shares by 92%. By reviewing metrics and findings, including trends in likes, shares, and comments, CDC evaluates forums independently and in comparison to strengthen strategies and goals of future forums.

Conclusions: Forums are a low-cost method of expanding content reach and understanding that violence is preventable. Forums drive interest and interaction among intended audiences, increasing the likelihood they will share similar prevention messages and resources. Over the long term, they provide access and transparency to federal activities and make it easier for state and local organizations to understand and adopt violence prevention messages and strategies.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Explain how the VetoViolence Facebook page uses forums to directly engage practitioners and professionals; Discuss the value of real-time Facebook forums for informing violence prevention efforts; and Describe the importance of evaluation in effectively implementing live forums as an educational tool for the public health field.

Keyword(s): Violence & Injury Prevention, Social Media

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I serve as Media Specialist in CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention, leading social and earned media efforts for the Division of Violence Prevention. Among my digital communications and marketing interests has been increasing social media engagement and social actions for preventing five types of violence — suicide, child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence — with compelling content strategies based in metrics evaluation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3176.0: Advances in Violence Prevention (organized by HCWG)