“Harnessing Youth Voices to Change the Diabetes Conversation”

The Bigger Picture: A public health literacy counter-marketing campaign

Dean Schillinger, MD

Disclosure InformationDr. Dean Schillinger has no financial

relationships to disclose.

The legacy of “rugged individualism”

A recent study of US media content related to Type 2 Diabetes» Revealed that only 12% mentioned

social or environmental contributors» The vast majority focus on individual

choices, unhealthy behaviors, or genetics

“Public Health Literacy”

Degree to which individuals and groups can obtain, process, understand, evaluate, and act upon information needed to make public health decisions that benefit the community

Target populations: The public Purpose: Improve the health of the public Aims: Engage more stakeholders in public health

efforts; address determinants of health Multidimensional: conceptual foundations; critical

skills; civic orientationD Freedman et al AJPM 2009

Pediatrics 2012

10 YEARS AGO, ONLY 1 IN 11 HAD PRE-DIABETES

Source: CDC JAMA 2003

25% of white youth; 1 in 3 youth

overall

Distribution of Diabetes Types by Age at Diagnosis and

Race/Ethnicity

The Bigger PictureHistory/Background

Youth Speaks’ Expertise: Spoken Word Arts org; literacy, civic engagement, cultural involvement, social justice and minority/low income youth development and engagement.

UCSF CVP’s Expertise: research in health communication and health policy to reduce health disparities, with special expertise in the social determinants of health.

The Bigger Picture Public Health Communication

Campaign is Born Our two organizations’ missions overlap

around chronic disease risks in young people so…

An idea was born: to use poetry to engage youth in the movement to prevent type 2 diabetes and empower youth to become vehicles for social and health justice.

The Bigger Picture is a collaboration between the University of California, San Francisco Center for Vulnerable Populations at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and Youth Speaks. Support has been provided

by The UCSF Diabetes Family Fund for Innovative Patient Care, Education and Scientific Discovery, Shape Up San Francisco, Metta Fund, and AT&T through the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. Additional funding provided by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Stephen Bechtel Fund, The California Endowment, and Alameda County Public Health Department, Nutrition Services with support from Public Health Institute and The California

Endowment. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor organizations.

The Bigger Picture Campaign

Vehicles for Youth-Led Diabetes Prevention Campaign

Medically-curated workshops with health professionals (CVP) and poet mentors (YS).

“Spoken word" video PSAs around key diabetes prevention targets crated by Youth Speaks poets.

Associated diabetes prevention toolkit for stakeholders.

Live performances at events and conferences. School-based assemblies and workshops.

Social media platforms.

School Visit Program Assemblies:

» 15 minority-serving public high schools» 1-hour program» Poet performances and video PSAs

Domains included in assembly program:» Basics about type 2 diabetes» Statistics outlining social-contextual determinants» Resources/examples for community and policy action

Writing workshops:» 1- hour program, students write responses to

assembly presentation

Bigger Picture High School Assembly Presentation Improved Outcomes

All p-values <0.001

How Does TBP Engage Youth to tell their stories?

Key Questions What’s the fun? What’s the incentive? Why should they care about this more than x,

y or z?What’s TBP’s Frame? Call out discriminatory marketing & getting

played for corporate profit Focus not on medical/individual, but on social

justice and environmental factors

Results to Date: High Levels of Reach

24 video PSAs (two Spanish, website in Spanish) >2,400 high school students from 15 public Bay Area

schools 44 trained poet mentors from 8 poet workshops Scaled to Richmond and Stockton Partnered with 3 local health departments Informed SSB policy >5000 health, education and community stakeholders >Almost 1 million video hits Huff Post; IOM, Soda Summit, James Beard; UpWorthy;

Food Farm Films Festival; In Defense of Food; APHA Spirit of 1848 Award; UCSF Excellence in Partnership Award; LCHC Young Champion for Latino Health

Next Steps

• Package and expand poet workshop & school/community visit program;

• Scale model statewide, then nationally;• Extend to other groups and languages;• Enhance and evaluate the digital platform;• Guerrilla/counter-marketing campaigns• Establish partnerships to increase impact,

widely deploy videos and elevate/include youth voices in public health discourse.

#DrinkDiabetes#SodaKills

Open Truth Partners

Janna Cordeiro: SUSF

Consultant

- Book us for a live performance- Partner with us; support TBP

Video PSA: Chocolate Smile by Marje Kilpatrick

Video PSA: A Product of His Environment by Joshua Merchant

Video PSA: Thin Line by Ivori Holson

Video PSA: Perfect Soldiers by Gabriel Cortez

Video PSA: Sole Mate by Jose Vadi

Video PSA: Targets by Obasi Davis

Video PSA: Health Justice Manifesto by Jade Cho

Video PSA: A Taste of Home by Monica Mendoza

Video PSA: Lost in Translation by Yosimar Reyes

Video PSA: Pushin’ Weight by Simone Bridges

The Bigger Picture is a collaboration between the University of California, San Francisco Center for Vulnerable Populations at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and Youth Speaks. Support has been provided

by The UCSF Diabetes Family Fund for Innovative Patient Care, Education and Scientific Discovery, Shape Up San Francisco, Metta Fund, and AT&T through the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. Additional funding provided by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Stephen Bechtel Fund, The California Endowment, and Alameda County Public Health Department, Nutrition Services with support from Public Health Institute and The California

Endowment. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor organizations.