Perceptions of Diabetes and Stigma-A Quasi-Experimental, Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Australian Diabetes Campaign Videos

Aim: To examine the potential negative and positive impacts of, and reaction to, eight Australian National Diabetes Week campaign videos (originally broadcast between 2005 and 2015) among adults with and without diabetes. Method: Cross-sectional, quasi-experimental, 10-arm online study. A general population sample (n=1023, aged 41±14 years, 60% women) and a diabetes population sample (n=510, aged 52±12 years, 49% women, 78% type 2 diabetes) were recruited via an Australian research panel. Participants were randomly exposed to one of eight diabetes campaign videos (intervention) or allocated to one of two control groups (active or passive). Post-exposure, study-specific scales measured diabetes Misconceptions and Seriousness, General and Diabetes Risk-Reduction Motivation and Self-efficacy, and perceptions of video Stigmatization of diabetes. Scores were compared by condition (intervention vs. control), and by campaign Stigma (high vs. low), separately by cohort (general and diabetes). Results: Exposure to diabetes campaigns had no significant impact on diabetes perceptions, relative to control, with one exception: a modest effect on General Self-efficacy among the general cohort only (p=0.015; d=-0.19). Those perceiving high campaign Stigma (15%), relative to low Stigma (60%), reported significantly greater diabetes Misconceptions (general: d=1.5; diabetes: d=-1.9) and lower Seriousness (d=0.5; d=0.3), as well as lower General Motivation (d=0.2) but higher Diabetes Risk Reduction Motivation (d=0.3) for the general cohort only. Conclusion: Single exposure to diabetes campaign videos had seemingly little positive impact on public perceptions. The minority, who perceive them as stigmatising, have greater misconceptions about diabetes, and perceive diabetes as less serious. This novel study has implications for the design and evaluation of future diabetes campaign videos globally. Disclosure E.Holmes-truscott: Research Support; Sanofi, AstraZeneca. J.Hateley-browne: None. E.M.Charalambakis: None. A.D.Ventura: None. A.G.Glenister: None. R.Scibilia: Advisory Panel; Ascensia Diabetes Care, Eli Lilly and Company, Roche Diagnostics, Employee; Diabetes Australia, Speaker's Bureau; diaTribe. J.Speight: Research Support; Sanofi, Medtronic, Abbott Diabetes, Lilly, Novo Nordisk A/S, Speaker's Bureau; Sanofi. Funding Diabetes Victoria