For many adults at risk for Type 2 diabetes, knowing where to begin can be one of the biggest obstacles to prevention. A new study from the Healthy Hawaiʻi Evaluation Team (HHET) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (HDOH) found that a statewide media campaign helped encourage more adults to take that first step by enrolling in the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).
The study, published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance , evaluated the statewide Beat Diabetes campaign, a HDOH initiative that ran from July through October 2024 across different media. The campaign encouraged adults at risk for Type 2 diabetes to enroll in the evidence-based DPP, which can reduce the risk of developing the disease by up to 58%. A follow-up survey was conducted from October through December 2024.
The Beat Diabetes campaign targeted Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander and Filipino adults—communities with higher prediabetes rates—using messages tested in focus groups reflecting those populations. Participants responded most strongly to messages urging immediate action, shaping the campaign's call to enroll in a DPP.
Evaluating campaign impact
To evaluate the campaign's effectiveness, researchers from HHET, housed in the UH Mānoa Department of Public Health Sciences , collaborated with HDOH's Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division (CDPHPD) to survey 860 Hawaiʻi residents ages 35 to 64 who reported at least one diabetes risk factor.
"Our programs leverage HHET's expertise in chronic disease prevention and health communications. We're excited to use these findings to improve our support for people at risk for diabetes," said Blythe Nett of CDPHPD.
Among survey respondents, 40% reported seeing or hearing the Beat Diabetes campaign. Those who recalled the campaign were more likely to join the DPP than those who did not.
"Exposure to the campaign may increase one's likelihood to join a DPP; however, it's important to also address other structural and logistical barriers that can get in the way of actual enrollment into a DPP," said Kara Saiki, the study's lead author and HHET researcher.
The findings suggest that culturally relevant public health campaigns can encourage people to take the first step toward diabetes prevention. Researchers say future efforts may be even more effective by pairing motivational messaging with strategies that reduce barriers such as time, cost and access to prevention programs.
