Methods: For Objective 1, we conducted four gender and age-specific focus groups, with 10 participants per group (N = 40), in a large city in Southeast US. We invited participants through Korean churches, senior centers, and snowballing. We conducted the focus groups in a Korean immigrant church, a Korean restaurant meeting room, and via Zoom (after the COVID19 pandemic started). Four co-authors who are native Korean speakers facilitated focus groups in Korean. Focus groups lasted about 90 minutes and were either audio- or video-recorded. For Objective 2, we developed 20 messages focusing on IPV prevention and barriers to help-seeking based on the results of four focus groups. Framing theory and Four Ps for social marketing theory informed the development of messages. We tested the messages for their acceptability in changing community norms around IPV and increasing survivors’ help-seeking with a convenience sample of Korean Americans (N = 54). The online survey (due to the COVID19) took 5-10 minutes to complete.
Results: The messages with high acceptability rates framed leaving the abuse as courageous for the survivors and their children (e.g., “My courage is not enduing the abuse; my courage is to love myself and know I deserve better” & “My courage is not staying for my children; my courage is having an abuse-free home for my children”). The messages that received low acceptability rates focused on learning about healthy family relationships (“Thank you, honey! Our kids and I are so proud of you! If you would like to learn more about healthy family relationships, go to http://www.upcomingwebsite.com” & “How do healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationships differ? Find more information at http://www.upcomingwebsite.com”).
Conclusion: These results are the foundation for the second phase of a community-researcher co-development of a public health communication campaign. The findings illustrate that messages informed by framing theory and cultural tailoring may be fruitful options for changing community norms around IPV and help-seeking among Korean American immigrants. In contrast, information presentation messages may be less effective. Further exploration of message content (what to say), form (how to say it), and delivery (where to say it) is necessary to develop an effective communication campaign.