Our Hearts are Healthier Together: Using Social Support Messages to Promote a Healthier Nation

Background:

Each February, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), recognizes American Heart Month by launching a focused initiative to encourage all Americans to learn more about heart health and make a commitment to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors. A healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity, smart eating, maintaining a good weight, and not smoking, can substantially lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is important since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States - one in four people died of heart disease in 2016.

Program background:

Research shows that having social support and personal networks makes adopting heart-healthy behaviors such as regular physical activity, eating healthy, losing weight, and quitting smoking easier. NHLBI's The Heart Truth® program emphasized the importance of social support as the central theme to deliver heart healthy messages.

Evaluation Methods and Results:

Using the theme, #OurHearts are healthier together, NHLBI created an integrated health communications initiative to encourage Americans to either start a commitment to a heart healthy lifestyle or encourage those around them to do so by engaging in healthy activities together. The initiative included an interactive digital map to track and highlight social media activity across the country; influencer engagements; live events, such as a cooking and dance demonstrations; and partnership events. #OurHearts was launched in February 2019 during American Heart Month. Within the first three weeks, the initiative’s success has been impressive. #OurHearts has garnered over 100 million media impressions, caught the attention and support of senior health leaders such as the U.S. Surgeon General, and engaged hundreds of partners and community advocates to promote heart health across the country.

Conclusions:

Using a social support message as a framework to encourage lifestyle changes has resonated with Americans and heart health advocates. NHLBI will continue building on this theme for future education and communication efforts.

Implications for research and/or practice:

Creating a general programmatic theme, such as social support, can work to deliver behavior change messages. The theme works across audiences and specific lifestyle calls to action (e.g., eat healthy, move more, etc.). It could also work for other chronic disease areas. There is an existing body of research that supports encouraging Americans to work together to sustain healthy lifestyle changes; and health communicators are starting to identify ways to successfully integrate it into program messaging.