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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jigna Dharod, PhD¹, Lori A. Kaley, MS, MSB¹, Matthew L'Italien, MS, RD¹, Debra A. Wigand, MEd, CHES², and Janet L. Leiter, MS, RD³. (1) Maine Nutrition Network, Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, 295 Water St., Augusta, ME 04330, (207) 626-5200, jigna.dharod@maine.gov, (2) Maine Cardiovascular Health Program, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Key Plaza, Augusta, ME 04333-0011, (3) Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Program, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Key Plaza, Augusta, ME 04333-0011

The Healthy Weight Awareness Campaign targeting Maine food stamp recipients intends to provide information on healthy lifestyle behaviors. Campaign components delivered through local TV and radio channels from January - June 2004 were: physical activity (PA), portion size (PS), turning the TV off/taking it out of the bedroom, and use of the Healthy Maine Walks website. In September 2004, a household mail survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the messages in influencing behavior change. A survey was mailed to randomly selected food stamp recipients with at least one child under the age of 19. A total of 875 surveys were returned for a 45% response rate. Eighty-one percent of the survey respondents indicated seeing or hearing a TV or radio message on increasing PA. A majority of the respondents (85%) reported that the ads had an effect on the way they thought about PA. No difference was seen in walking habits between effected (87%) and non-effected (83%) respondents. For PS, 61% reported seeing or hearing a message and 82% of them mentioned being effected by it. A higher percentage of effected respondents reported reducing PS compared to their counterparts (52% vs 5% respectively, p<.05). These results suggest the campaign may be more successful in modifying behavior that addresses micro versus macro environment. Reducing PS was achievable by change in behavior only, while increasing PA by walking may be influenced by other environmental factors such as accessibility to safe walking trails.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the components of the Healthy Weight Awareness Campaign.
• Describe the process of developing, implementing and evaluating the social marketing campaign.
• Recognize the influence of social marketing campaign in rural-low income population.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered