Empowering Children and Youth: Innovative and effective social marketing and youth engagement strategies for nutrition and physical activity education

The Network for a Healthy California employs effective, innovative, research-based, age-appropriate youth intervention campaigns and programs to encourage low-income food stamp eligible children and youth to eat more fruits and vegetables (FV) and engage in 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) daily. Using the social ecological model, children and youth participate in activities at schools, community youth organizations, farmers' markets, supermarkets, and with policy-makers. The Harvest of the Month program provides a consistent base of knowledge for grades K-12, emphasizing the farm-to table connection and providing materials for educators and parents. Results showed a statistically significant change for knowledge (p<.001), four of five self-efficacy scales (p<.001). and consumption (p<.001). The Children's Power Play! Campaign empowers 9-11 year olds with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices at schools and home by influencing psychosocial determinants of FV consumption, including knowledge (4 items, P < .05 to P < .001), positive outcome expectations (fifth-grade only, P < .0001), asking/shopping and eating self-efficacy (P = .039 and P < .0001); PA knowledge (2 items, P < .001), outcome expectations (P = .014), and support seeking self-efficacy (P = .037), but not barriers self-efficacy. The Youth Empowerment Program engages and activates students ages 12-18 and their adult allies in youth-led participatory action research and provides opportunity for youth to develop and strengthen their leadership skills, as well as co-develop innovative strategies to help address health, nutrition and physical activity issues. This presentation will demonstrate a unique continuum of social marketing and youth empowerment strategies designed to increase FV consumption and PA levels for the prevention of overweight and chronic disease. It will describe different types of methods used to evaluate the diverse youth intervention strategies. It will also discuss key findings from case studies that highlight environmental change outcomes from regional implementation efforts and discuss key strategies to successfully engage youth in program planning, implementation and development.