Exploring Narrative Techniques in Health Promotion and Education
In the realm of communication, few methods are as old and effective as storytelling. From the cave drawings in France, dating back an astonishing 30,000 years, to the digital narratives of today, storytelling has been a powerful vehicle for voicing accomplishment, sharing experiences, and moving people to action.
In the field of public health, storytelling plays a crucial role. It allows those working in the field to communicate their work in a compelling way to decision-makers, policymakers, and the public, securing the support needed to sustain critical health work. Public health stories often focus on characters beyond just public health workers, such as patients, policymakers, teachers, children, and even overlooked groups like sanitation workers.
Shifting focus to one person in a public health story can help create an emotional connection with the audience. This is particularly important because public health is often an invisible field until something goes wrong. Storytelling can bring light to the reality of preventing disease, promoting health, and protecting communities every single day.
In Germany, organizations and individuals are successfully using storytelling in public health. Research networks like the German Center for Child and Youth Health (DZKJ) involve children and families actively in health research through projects such as educational weeks that combine storytelling and science communication. Social initiatives like the "mitunsleben GmbH" startup develop platforms to connect people with social services, while community efforts like ME/CFS awareness campaigns share personal stories of affected individuals publicly to raise understanding and visibility.
Public health workforce stories, as well as stories about experiences in the community that impact public health efforts, can help secure and sustain public health support. They also work to bring attention to the importance of public health work and the everyday heroics of the public health workforce.
In public health storytelling, the plot typically arises from a character's goal coming into conflict with a challenge. To remain authentic to public health training while telling emotional stories, direct quotes, step-by-step accounts, sensory details, and pacing can be used effectively.
However, it's important to remember that data should be strategically placed to support the story, not overwhelm it. Jargon in public health can be difficult to translate outside of the field, so it's important to explain complex concepts in a way that a friend or family member would understand.
Identifying people with compelling stories can be done by searching for individuals on social media, finding stories that are already in the news, collecting them via evaluation forms at events, working with community health workers, or even telling your own story if you have a personal connection and feel comfortable doing so.
In conclusion, storytelling is a powerful tool in public health. By sharing stories of everyday heroes, we can bring attention to the importance of public health work, secure essential buy-in, and move people to action. So, let's continue to tell these stories, to inspire and educate, and to make a difference in the world of public health.
