Communicating about Overweight/Obesity with Hispanic Audiences

Background: Hispanics have one of the highest burdens of obesity in the United States. However, although communication has been acknowledged as an integral component to public health programs such as the prevention of obesity and related behaviors, little is known about the best ways to communicate about obesity with populations who are affected more severely than others, including Hispanic audiences. 

Program background: To identify existing evidence and opportunities to improve obesity-prevention communication with Hispanic audiences, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened a panel of nine experts on July 14 and 15, 2016, to discuss this topic. Panelists had a mix of expertise relevant to obesity prevention and marketing efforts with Hispanic audiences. The moderated panel discussion lasted 4 hours and took place by telephone and web conference. The specific objectives were to: (1) share key lessons learned about communicating with Hispanic audiences; (2) consider potential unintended effects when communicating with these audiences; and (3) identify key communication opportunities and promising practices. 

Evaluation Methods and Results: The meeting was structured to focus on four key topic areas. The major themes and communication considerations that emerged around each of these topics were captured and summarized in a meeting report. These included:

• Topic 1—Audience characteristics and cultural factors that impact communication: Level of acculturation heavily influences Hispanics’ eating habits and physical activity behavior; gender roles affect attitudes and behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity, but they are evolving, particularly within more acculturated families; food is closely connected to expressions of love and caring; and, environmental and contextual factors can make it hard to put knowledge of healthy eating and physical activity into practice. 
• Topic 2—Audience segmentation and key audience segments for overweight/obesity communication: Women, particularly millennial moms, are a key segment among Hispanic audiences; youth can be effective influencers in their families; and, grandparents can influence their family’s diet and exercise habits.
• Topic 3—Strategies for developing communications that resonate with Hispanic audiences: Messages and materials should emphasize empowerment, use emotional appeals, avoid stereotypes, and be sensitive to not convey a sense of shaming; and, producing bilingual materials may help reach all generations in a family and those who have different levels of acculturation.
• Topic 4—Approaches and channels for reaching Hispanic audiences: When considering messengers or spokespeople, starting within the community is desirable; mobile and digital technology are increasingly important channels for reaching Hispanic audiences, particularly younger groups; and, face-to-face communication is a key approach for reaching low-income Hispanic audiences.

Conclusions: The expert panel discussion identified promising cultural, social, environmental, and other factors that may influence communication to Hispanic audiences about diet, physical activity, and other issues relevant to overweight and obesity prevention. 

Implications for research and/or practice: The insights generated can help public health communicators develop culturally competent messages and materials that resonate with target Hispanic audiences and bring about desired healthy behavior changes.