Information Dissemination

Process of Development

Regardless of the particular form in which information is disseminated, the following description provides a capsule view of the process. First, the developer of the strategy analyzes the target audience to determine needs, cultural characteristics, and the most appropriate methodology for dissemination. Next, the program provides information about a particular problem, why it is important, and how the audience can act to prevent or mitigate it. The audience hears the message, gains knowledge, and changes its attitude about the problem and is motivated to act. The audience changes its behavior and adopts more effective or healthful practices and avoids negative behaviors. Finally, the changed behavior leads to improved social, health, or environmental outcomes for the audience members individually and, in the aggregate, for the population or system.

Target Populations

Information dissemination activities may be targeted at broad, general audiences or at very specific target populations. The target audience for information dissemination activities can be defined by using the classification system developed by the Institute of Medicine in 1994. This system categorizes audiences as universal, selective, or indicated. Universal prevention audiences are large populations such as the general community or all students within a school. These audiences are identified and targeted without regard to their comparative level of risk for substance abuse. The mission of prevention with universal audiences is to delay the onset of substance use or deter the occurrence of substance abuse by providing all individuals with the information and attitudes necessary to prevent the problem. Universal prevention approaches are based on the assumption that all members of the population share the same general risk for substance abuse, although the risk may vary greatly among individuals within that population. Information is disseminated to universal prevention audiences without any prior screening for substance abuse risk. The National Media Campaign, conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, is probably the best-known information dissemination program targeted at a universal audience.

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