Community Health Connections: The Promotion of Health and Community Based Participatory Research Outcomes with African Americans Using Radio As a Platform

Background:  Radio serves as a platform to deliver health messages in myriad formats to mass audiences. Radio programming tailored to meet audience needs and listening preferences has been documented by radio marketers as more effective in reaching diverse populations.  Black radio reaches a broad cross-section of the black community (youths, the elderly, women, men, young adults, and all income groups). Media marketing reports document the consistency of radio use among African Americans of all ages¹.  In 2006, the Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center (MSM PRC) launched its radio broadcast, Community Health Connections (CHC), to educate the public (particularly African Americans) about relevant health issues, engage communities in topic development/content delivery using a participatory approach. CHC’s primary aim is to create opportunities to disseminate culturally-appropriate health information among a typically hard to reach population in an urban area.   

Program background:  MSM PRC engages its community partners, representatives from Atlanta neighborhoods, in community health needs assessment processes to identify health priorities, shape MSM PRC’s research agenda and develop its communications plan. CHC was created as an outcome from these processes. CHC is a mechanism for delivering targeted health messages and research outcomes.  CHC is broadcast live and simultaneously over via internet biweekly on a local Atlanta AM radio band in a thirty-minute morning segment.  Radio content is developed using evidence-based research outcomes, emerging health concerns and infuses input from subject matter experts and community partners. The show’s format includes dialogue expert guests about research, health and/or scientific findings and includes a call-in segment, allowing for open exchange with community members.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  Results indicate that CHC reaches an average of 1,200 listeners per show and covers a four-county radius². Within a 4-year period, listeners have been exposed to health and public health information related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease prevention, and nutrition among others.  Community members often serve as guest experts and market the show in their communities, increasing the show’s exposure and reach with its intended population.  MSM PRC has been able to create partnerships with national, regional and local health initiatives, research programs, service projects and community partners to deliver health messages in these local communities.

Conclusions:  The CHC program is distinctive, because the program is developed using community-based and culturally-sensitive approaches that are applied in its development, production, broadcast and information dissemination. The CHC radio program fosters an environment, where ‘real conversations’ about health occur between researchers and communities.  

Implications for research and/or practice:  Radio can be a trusted source of information when the audience has a vested interest in content development and delivery.  CHC’s success is due to the fostering of meaningful partnerships with the intended audience.  The program lessens the divide between health professionals and communities, enabling knowledgeable community members to make informed decisions regarding individual health and community health needs.

1. Hall IJ, Johnson-Turbes CA, Williams KN. The potential of black radio to disseminate health messages and reduce disparities. Prev Chronic Dis 2010;7(4). http://www.cdc.gov./pcd/issues/2010/jul/09_0194.htm. Accessed, October 24, 2010.
2. Arbitron. Radio Market Report. Atlanta PPM. September, 2009.