"Infographics: Turning Statistics Into Visual Storytelling"

Background: Comprehending statistical data has frequently proven a challenge, often an obstacle to accurate communication to various target populations, particularly with lay audiences. Visuals that accurately communicate public health information and data may be more easily understood especially when aiming to address limited health literacy. Presenting statistical information through the use of infographics, can prove a powerful public health communications tool.

Program background:  The National Child and Maternal Health Education Program, sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute on Child Health and Human Development is developing an infographic to supplement information from the Is It Worth It initiative about elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks.  Key facts about developmental milestones between 37 0/7 and 38 6/7 weeks gestation, including brain development, are easily translated to visual content to help improve understanding.  The infographic will link to the “Is It Worth It” video and increase the viral sharing potential of the “Is It Worth It” initiative information and the video itself. IQ Solutions also works with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) to support healthfinder.gov and Healthy People 2020, with a goal of ensuring that ODPHP’s multiple audiences can easily access disease prevention and health promotion information. ODPHP disseminates a Monthly Bulletin related to one of the 12 Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators (LHIs). LHIs are a smaller set of Healthy People 2020 objectives that have been selected to communicate high-priority health issues and actions that can be taken to address them. The Bulletin, intended for health professionals, includes up-to-date statistical information about the LHI, presented as an infographic to enhance its ability to communicate the information. Healthfinder.gov is a consumer website that focuses on user-friendly prevention and wellness information. Each month, IQ collaborates with ODPHP to develop the Monthly Spotlight, which is comprised of an infographic that reflects action-oriented information highlighting a monthly health observance and most importantly, is accessible to users with limited health literacy.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  N/A. Results are forthcoming and will be available by the August conference date

Conclusions:  Utilizing visual information in place of numeric statistical data, where applicable, ensures a more broad audience comprehension level. It can also be a valuable tool in reaching consumers with limited health literacy.

Implications for research and/or practice: Infographics are an alternative approach to displaying statistics that are more easily interpreted by a broader audience, ensuring better understanding of the data.