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  5. How CTP Includes Public Input on Its Education Campaigns
  1. Public Health Education Campaigns

How CTP Includes Public Input on Its Education Campaigns

 

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Public Health Education Development Process 

As part of a science-based process, FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) employs various methods to obtain information to inform the development of effective tobacco public education resources and activities.  

An essential step in the development process is to solicit input directly from key stakeholders and intended audiences of our public education efforts at multiple points in the process. Our rigorous research process includes:  

  • Conducting foundational research to understand tobacco product use and media platform use among intended audiences to inform the design of public health education messages and dissemination strategies. 
  • Conducting focus group research and in-depth interviews to gain audience insights and to identify messaging themes that resonate among intended audiences. 
  • Consulting experts and key stakeholders to promote cultural responsiveness and best practices in health communication science. 
  • Conducting formative research to understand audience responses to our content and to assess if the messaging is understandable and effective and there are no unintended consequences. 
  • Conducting frequent and routine evaluation of our public education strategies and messaging to understand how they influence tobacco-related knowledge, perceptions, intentions, and behaviors among our intended audiences.
Flow chart showing how CTP includes input in campaigns

Since our first set of focus groups in 2013, CTP researchers have spoken with thousands of youth and adults through qualitative focus groups and in-depth interviews to inform our public education efforts. For more information about campaign research with intended audiences, visit: 

In addition to formative research, FDA reviews social media posts related to tobacco and our public education efforts. This helps FDA identify trends and consider feedback to refine our education messages.

Subject Matter Experts 

Another important component of the public education development process is considering the input of experts. FDA routinely consults subject matter experts to obtain feedback in areas such as: 

  • Tobacco science 
  • Consumer research 
  • Public health 
  • Health communication science 
  • Health equity 
  • Marketing  

For example, the development of the “Next Legends” campaign, designed for American Indian and Alaska Native youth, included multiple rounds of information sharing and feedback with representatives from all 574 federally recognized tribes. Additionally, “The Real Cost” cigarette prevention effort leveraged a partnership with CADCA to conduct interviews with subject matter experts who provided insights about teens who are at increased risk for using cigarettes. Further, FDA is currently engaging with a wide variety of experts to learn more and disseminate information about cigarillo use. Finally, FDA is conducting research with adults to understand their risk perceptions of different tobacco products.  

In developing and refining messages, intended audiences, and other aspects of each public education effort, CTP holds regular coordination meetings with other federal entities and representatives from state tobacco control programs.

Ways to Provide Input on Public Education Efforts 

FDA has numerous channels to receive feedback on CTP public education efforts. Here are some ways you can provide input:

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Conferences: CTP engages with the public at conferences, which provides a forum for CTP staff to share more in-depth information, have a discussion, and answer questions. In 2022, CTP staff prepared 30 presentations for conferences, including the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, American Public Health Association, Food and Drug Law Institute, and the E-Cigarette Summit.

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Exhibit Booth: CTP engages with the public through its conference exhibit booth, with the opportunity to interact with over 850,000+ collective conference attendees annually.

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Email: Each campaign has an email inbox by which the public can submit campaign-specific questions and comments. Since the launch of both “The Real Cost” and “Next Legends,” the campaigns have regularly received and responded to emails from the general public. 

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Stakeholder meetings: CTP’s Ombudsman’s Office, Strategic Outreach team, and Stakeholder Relations team coordinate meetings to address public education efforts when requested by stakeholders. As a recent example, CTP staff presented and engaged with participants in a discussion about our campaign program at the 2023 E-Cigarette Summit in May.

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Federal Register notices: FDA is required to publish notice in the Federal Register for each research study intended to support our public health education efforts if it qualifies as an information collection as part of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The notice gives the public the opportunity to comment and provide input on these data collections.

Connect with Us 

There are many ways to connect with CTP staff who help develop public education efforts, including at conferences, through email or social media, or by requesting a meeting.  

 

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