142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Leveraging What Walking Means to Mom: Formative Research to Inform the Branding of Walking to Increase Family Physical Activity

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH , Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy (SHARP) Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Susan G. Zieff, PhD , Department of Kinesiology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Rodney Lyn, PhD, MS , School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
BACKGROUND: To promote active lifestyles among Americans the Surgeon General will release a Walking Call-to-Action in mid-2014. The following research supports this call by conducting marketing research about walking among low-income mothers, a population at high risk of low physical activity. As family gatekeepers, women are uniquely positioned to internalize persuasive messages about the value of walking and subsequently influence the walking habits of their families. This study aims to understand women’s perceptions about walking as the first step in a translational program of research aiming to develop and evaluate a motivating brand for walking and key persuasive messages that can be used in campaigns and interventions to foster sustainable walking behavior.

METHODS: Seven focus groups were conducted and across seven urban areas in the United States among low-income mothers of elementary school children. A mixed-method approach was used to understand what walking means to mothers. Qualitative data were collected using a journalistic method of inquiry (i.e., “the five w’s of walking) and a previously-validated quantitative measure was used to assess the “meaningfulness” of walking.  Transcriptions are currently being coded and analyzed.

RESULTS: Results of this study will be presented to illuminate core beliefs and perceptions about walking. Findings will be used to identify how to close the gap between mothers’ perceived value of walking and the successful prioritization of walking within their families’ daily lives.

CONCLUSIONS: This basic marketing research will be used to inform the development and evaluation of a population-specific persuasive walking brand and messaging strategy

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the beliefs mothers have about the value of walking for themselves and their families; Identify the barriers to the successful integration of walking into daily life among urban low-income mothers; and Discuss key messages to help close the gap between mothers’ stated values for walking and fitting walking into the daily lives of their families.

Keyword(s): Policy/Policy Development, Communication

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been studying how to optimally communicate about physical activity for twenty years through research and practice. My work has been funded by the NIH, and I am the Chair of the National Physical Activity Plan's Communications Committee and adviser to the CDC/Surgeon General's upcoming Walking Call-to-Action (May, 2014).
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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