Improving Public Health Messaging: Exploring the Reach and Effectiveness of Cancer Prevention Communications
September 04, 2024
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, representing 18% of U.S. deaths and over 600,000 lives lost per year. Given the public health burden of cancer, cancer prevention has been a key focus of public health messaging and communications in recent decades; however, it is often ineffective.
This report seeks to explore the reasons cancer prevention messaging often does not resonate with its intended audience nor have the intended effect, with the goal of helping public health communications professionals course-correct and create effective cancer messaging that spurs people to take preventive action. It reflects on findings from an in-depth literature review on three cancer-related topics as case studies (cervical cancer screening, nutrition, and physical activity), a digital scan of social media communications around cancer prevention, and expert interviews and a roundtable discussion with individuals working in media, health communications, cancer prevention, health equity, government agencies, universities, and communication-focused and community-based organizations.