Identifying Social Mobilization Frameworks at the Community Level for Advancing Flu Preparedness: Evaluation of Cdc's Take the Lead Campaign

Background:  The CDC’s Take the Lead: Working Together to Prepare Now (TTL) campaign was a continuation of a campaign begun in 2007 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC conducted a second phase to get local leaders and community-based organizations to mobilize communities to respond to flu outbreaks (including 2009 H1N1). Since fall 2009, eight communities around the country conducted specific communication activities organized by local leaders and community-based organizations.

Program background:  A main goal was to advance knowledge on what frameworks and approaches are most effective in promoting social mobilization towards flu preparedness and response at the community level.  Site selection was based on varying types of communities reaching different populations. Participating communities formed coalitions of community organizations (“Collaboratories,”) championed by local health departments. Each Collaboratory was encouraged to conduct a minimum of two social mobilization activities (activities designed to encourage actions towards preparedness) and two information dissemination activities.  Technical assistance was provided to help customize campaign plans and campaign activities, and facilitate evaluation.   A toolkit and messages were developed translated into several languages including Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese.  Messages to community leaders referred to their important roles in preparation for flu outbreaks, including partnership building, information dissemination, and social mobilization.  Messages for community leaders to use with individuals and families included: develop a flu plan, get vaccinated, keep health and basic medical supplies handy, take everyday actions to stay healthy (e.g., cover your cough, wash your hands), stay home if you are sick, and stay informed by visiting a Web site for the latest information (CDC.gov, Flu.gov, or Local/State Health Department site). Collaboratories were encouraged to use social media to mobilize community leaders and individuals, and technical assistance was offered.

Evaluation Methods and Results: Evaluation was extensive including a number of elements to capture information on how the campaign was implemented in different kinds of communities and results in each community. Evaluation components included:

• monthly activity tracking for each community,
• pre- and post-campaign interviews with the leaders of the campaign in each community,
• post-campaign interviews with community partners in each community,
• post-campaign survey with the community campaign leaders.

Conclusions:  The evaluation of the campaign will just be concluded by conference time so results will be “hot off the presses”. This presentation will:

• Highlight findings of this evaluation, including lessons learned from campaign implementation applicable for future seasonal and pandemic flu communication and social mobilization programs and activities.
• Show how different approaches of the individual communities reached their specific target audiences.
• Identify which social mobilization approaches can be used for smaller and mid-size communities.

  Implications for research and/or practice:

This campaign was designed to identify different types of social mobilization activities that can be used in communities of varying sizes with different demographics. The lessons here will assist health communicators with evaluated frameworks that can be used for flu preparedness community efforts and for other health topics.