Article review: Graphic-style stories for engaging underserved communities and advancing health promotion
Abstract
How can we reach and truly engage communities that struggle with limited resources, lower health literacy, or mistrust of health systems? Researchers from the We Engage 4 Health (WE4H) project developed a unique method: they used graphic-style stories as a tool for health promotion and knowledge transfer. These stories not only made the messages easier to understand, but also more emotionally engaging, while community members participated as co-designers in the development of the materials. The research findings show that iterative, community-based co-design is not only an effective but also a sustainable tool for reducing health inequalities—and it would be worthwhile to incorporate it into domestic practice.
References
Gertz, S., Lee, S. Y., Humphries, J., Pettus-Ogelsby, L., Martin, L. J., Morris, E., Mabisi, K., Kohli, E., Wilson, K. L., Beckham, C., Tawwab, V., Sherman, P., Wijesooriya, J., Elshaer, S., Baker, T. A., Wagner, E., Bates, L., Hershberger, S., & Butsch Kovacic, M. (2025). Graphic-style stories to engage limited resource communities and promote health: Methods for iterative co-design with community representatives. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1500711. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1500711
