The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49316

Elizabeth Bell Moreno, MS, RD, CDE¹, May-Choo Wang, DrPH, RD², Nestor Martinez, MPH, RD¹, Cyndi Guerra Walter, BA¹, Luz Maria Rodriguez, BA¹, and Erika Takada, MPH³. (1) California Project LEAN, California Department of Health Services, P.O. Box 942732, MS-675, Sacramento, CA 94234-7320, 916-327-1421, emoreno@dhs.ca.gov, (2) Department of Nutritional Sciences & School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 2560 9th Street, #121, Berkeley, CA 94710, (3) Public Health Institute, California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition), 601 N. 7th Street, P.O. Box 942732, MS-675, Sacramento, CA 94234-7320

The Bone Health Campaign for Low-income Latinas was a pilot social marketing campaign conducted by California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition) in July-October 2001. This osteoporosis prevention campaign promoted the consumption of one extra serving of 1% milk per day for low-income, Spanish-speaking Latino mothers and their children. The pilot study utilized media (paid Spanish-language radio commercials, community events, grocery store taste-tests of 1% milk) and a promotora model (trained community health workers leading bone health educational sessions with the target audience). Using a quasi-experimental design, the study was conducted in two intervention communities and two control sites. One intervention community completed both the media and promotora components. The other completed only the media component. A pre- and post-evaluation questionnaire assessed changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among the target audience. For the media component, baseline data was collected via face-to-face interviews with 200 Latino women in each of the four communities. Pre-test results showed that whole milk was the principal milk choice among the target audience. The promotora component was evaluated with a post-campaign telephone administered questionnaire with 200 promotora participants. Pre- and post-campaign milk sales data were also recorded from local grocers. Sales data revealed an increase in 1% milk purchases after the campaign in both intervention communities, with a greater increase in the community that utilized media and promotora efforts. Additional evaluation findings will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Identify three data collection methods to evaluate a social marketing campaign,
• List three intervention strategies to influence positive bone health behavior change among low-income Latino mothers, and
• Describe the challenges with implementing a social marketing campaign with multiple interventions.

Keywords: Latinos, Social Marketing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.