Fellow: Dr. Zhaozhang Sun; Partner: Diabetes UK; School: Institute of Applied Health Research.
Stigma surrounding Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a persistent public health issue, contributing to misinformation, psychological distress, and reluctance to seek medical support. This ESRC-funded fellowship at Centre-UB aims to reduce the stigma associated with T2D through innovative social media campaigns led by social media influencers. Through the involvement of individuals living with T2D, diabetes-related social media influencers, healthcare professionals , and communication/social media/marketing professionals at diabetes-related organisations, this project will develop, implement and evaluate a social media campaign to normalise T2D and improve public understanding, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for those living with T2D.
The project adopts a three-phase approach to designing and implementing a strategic digital intervention to reduce T2D stigma.
- Phase 1 involves a literature review of existing research to identify key misconceptions, stereotypes, and discrimination faced by individuals with T2D.
- Phase 2 employs a co-design methodology, engaging individuals living with T2D, healthcare professionals, and communication experts in workshops to collaboratively define key themes, messaging strategies, and formats for a social media campaign. The outcome will be a campaign handbook, which will be shared with diabetes-related social media influencers to guide their content creation in alignment with the campaign’s objectives. A content review process will be in place to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and quality of the information before publication.
- Phase 3 assesses the campaign’s impact through qualitative focus groups and quantitative social media analysis, measuring audience engagement, perspectives and effectiveness in reducing stigma.
Therefore, this fellowship project presents an interdisciplinary approach to tackling T2D stigma by combining health communication, social media influence and public health research. At its core, the project utilises a co-design process that brings together individuals with T2D, healthcare professionals, and communication experts to ensure that the campaign is both authentic and evidence-based. The fellowship aims to raise public awareness, challenge misconceptions, and foster a more inclusive dialogue around T2D. By amplifying credible and influential voices and facilitating meaningful conversations, the project aspires to strengthen community support, improve engagement with healthcare services, and contribute to the growing recognition of influencer-led approaches in health communication.