Poor diet, physical inactivity and obesity are expected to be the major chronic disease risk factors facing the U.S. in the coming decades, already having an impact similar to tobacco use and contributing to significant health disparities among low income Americans. The nation’s continued failure to meet related Healthy People objectives calls for a major mobilization of effort by hundreds of diverse organizations. The California Nutrition Network for Healthy, Active Families, a Food Stamp social marketing initiative led by the state health department, established a Local Incentive Awards (LIA) Program that provides a 50% match for non-federal expenditures spent on qualifying nutrition education activities. Expanding from 4 agencies in 1997 to over 100 in 2001, the public agencies include: low resource school districts, local health departments, colleges and universities, Indian tribal groups, park and recreation departments, and cities. The LIA mechanism has fostered a shift from traditional education toward larger-scale public/private partnerships, mass media and media advocacy, public relations, community development and mobilization, and changes in policy, systems, and the food/activity environments. The Social Ecological Model is used as the theoretical and evaluation framework. This paper will describe novel solutions in each channel, their diffusion to other agencies and—in some cases—statewide, similar to the early tobacco prevention movement. Summary statistics of diverse activities also will be presented. Nutrition networks are optional for state Food Stamp programs, so this approach may help others that have or wish to start similar social marketing campaigns. See www.ca5aday.com
See www.ca5aday.com
Learning Objectives: After this session, participants will be able to: 1. Identify trends in nutrition education interventions conducted by local public agencies in multiple channels. 2. Describe cross-cutting social marketing techniques and the diffusion of innovations across sectors. 3. Discuss ways of measuring and presenting apparently-dissimilar activities by local agencies.
Keywords: Community, Social Marketing
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.