Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114090

Carol A. Bryant, PhD¹, Anita H. Courtney², Marilyn F. Petersen², Diana S. Koonce², Chad Morris², Kelli McCormack Brown, PhD, CHES³, and Robert J. McDermott, PhD⁴. (1) Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida College of Public Health and Florida Prevention Research Center, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 56, Tampa, FL 33612-3805, 813 974 6686, cbryant@hsc.usf.edu, (2) Nutrition and Health Education Unit, Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, 650 Newtown Pike, Lexington, MD 40508, (3) Prevention Research Center, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, (4) Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida College of Public Health; Florida Prevention Research Center, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 56, Tampa, FL 33612-3805

Inadequate physical activity (PA) is a risk factor contributing to obesity and overweight among youth. To increase PA is a Healthy People 2010 objective. VERB^TM – a national social marketing campaign linking PA and “fun” was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for “tweens” ages 9-13. Community-based prevention marketing (CBPM) is a framework for mobilizing communities and guiding voluntary health behavior change. This study examined CBPM's utility for assisting a community coalition in designing a data-driven, marketing mindset-oriented adaptation of VERB^TM to create a youth-centered PA intervention. To increase PA accessibility, the coalition designed and pilot-tested activity outlets for tweens to encourage diverse PA options during the non-school summer months. The VERB^TM Summer Scorecard program provided tweens with “Scorecards” for validation at up to 24 sites (e.g., pools, skating rinks, bowling alleys, martial arts facilities, YMCAs). Sites offered cardholders special privileges – free or reduced admission to public pools and other facilities, free sports clinics for beginners, and other activities. Tweens submitting their completed cards were eligible for prize-drawings. Thousands of youth participated in one or more activities, 355 cards were completed and submitted, and countless others were partially completed. VERB^TM Summer Scorecard garnered the support of businesses, recreational facilities, and parents. Additional positive “side effects” included PA participation by other youth and adults. Local coalitions can apply marketing principles to design responsive community-based interventions that augment the success of national campaigns. VERB^TM Summer Scorecard is a promising supplement for school-based PA programs. Its sustainability is currently under study.

Learning Objectives:

• To describe the adaptation of a national campaign for promoting physical activity at the local level.
• To explain the steps of community-based prevention marketing for mobilizing communities and guiding voluntary health behavior.
• To illustrate how data-driven and marketing mindset-oriented decisions can alter the health behavior culture of a community.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Physical Activity

Related Web page: www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.