Stronger Together: Collaborations with Native American Media to Address Epilepsy Disparities
Abstract number :
2.426
Submission category :
17. Public Health
Year :
2021
Submission ID :
1886521
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/9/2021 12:00:00 PM
Published date :
Nov 22, 2021, 06:56 AM
Authors :
Thometta Cozart, MS, MPH, CHES, CPH - Epilepsy Foundation; Leris Bernard, BS – PR Consultant, LERIS Media; Mary Smith, JD – Native Health Consultant, VENG Group
Rationale: Epilepsy, a chronic brain condition known by unprovoked seizures, impacts more than 3.4 million Americans. According to 2018 US Census, 51,000 Native Americans are living with active epilepsy. Epilepsy disparities among racial and ethnic populations exists due to lack of access to specialists and awareness of epilepsy. A recent CDC-funded study demonstrated that among 2010-2014 Medicaid enrollees, a larger proportion of American Indian, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians, experienced the longest time to an epilepsy diagnosis.
Methods: In collaboration with a former executive of Indian Health Services and Native American media outlets, a national epilepsy nonprofit established a culturally relevant outreach campaign to increase epilepsy and seizure first aid awareness among Native communities. A Native American & Epilepsy Toolkit was created featuring an Epilepsy & COVID-19 article; a Seizure First Aid Poster translated into Cherokee, Navajo and Lakota languages; social media images and posts; and PSA radio scripts. The Toolkit was reviewed and distributed by members of New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils, Navajo Nation, National Congress of American Indians, and the National Indian Health Board.
Results: By working with Native Voice One radio, Cherokee Phoenix, Lakota Times and Navajo Times newspapers, and social media channels of various partners, a PSA, a national radio interview featuring a Navajo teen with lived experience with epilepsy, and several editorials and ads reached more than 1.6 million impressions.
Conclusions: Collaborations between Native health and epilepsy experts and Native media outlets proved effective for raising awareness of epilepsy disparities among Native communities.
Funding: Please list any funding that was received in support of this abstract.: This work made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under cooperative agreement number 1NU58DP006256-04-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the CDC.
Public Health