The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #57627

Robert McCannon, MA¹, Mike Loughrey, PhD², Elisabeth Gleckler, MPH, DrPH³, and Damon Scott¹. (1) Albuquerque Academy, New Mexico Media Literacy Project, 6600 Wyoming Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, 505-828-3129, scottd@aa.edu, (2) Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico Media Literacy Project, 5115 Sunningdale Ave., NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, (3) University of New Orleans, 7713 Sycamore Street, New Orleans, LA 70118-4224

Media literacy – the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce messages is important in today’s media-saturated world. Media literate individuals understand surface and deeper media “subtexts.” Compulsive lifestyles in media contradict healthy decision-making; therefore media literacy training should support healthier decisions.

The media literacy intervention was in six New Mexico middle schools. The goal was for students to:

· Be critical of advertising realism,

· Desire less the lifestyle glorified,

· Reject identification with people featured, and

· Understand false expectations.

Six-graders had six 55-minute trainings in six continuous days and three booster sessions 15-20 minutes one week after. There were two control sites.

The alcohol attitude items were from the Message Interpretation Model (Pinkleton, Austin, etal., 1999) investigating children’s views of advertising on four constructs:

Perceived Realism;

Perceived Desirability;

Identification and

Social Expectancies.

The four subscales and the full-scale score were examined using 23 items from Austin’s scale and three items added by NMMLP. The testing of cigarette smoking ads attitudes consisted of items used by state health departments with only a full-scale score examined.

Analysis from 350 pre/posttests demonstrated changed alcohol and tobacco advertising attitudes, indicating significantly higher posttest treatment group scores. The 220 comparison group scores showed no significant pre/post differences for alcohol advertising attitudes and significantly lower posttest cigarette advertising scores.

Anglo males and Hispanic females scored significantly higher than Hispanic males on media attitudes in the intervention analysis. Anglos had higher cigarette advertising attitude scores than Hispanics. Hispanic 6th grade males seemed to demonstrate resistance to training.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Identify the key components of a media literacy training model;
• Recognize the elements of advertising that contribute to unhealthy lifestyles;
• Depict a successful implementation of media literacy in a school setting; and
• Describe the scales that measure children’s attitudes towards advertising.

Keywords: Media Literacy, Health Promotion

Related Web page: www.nmmlp.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: New Mexico Media Literacy Project (non-profit working in media education nationally)
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Executive Director