142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

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Partnering with Mass Media to Promote Health and Wellness via our Community's Existing Park, Recreation and Open Spaces Resources

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 : 9:10 AM - 9:30 AM

Jack Kardys, MSM , Miami Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department (MDPROS), Miami, FL
David Landsberg , Miami Herald, Miami, FL
Jose Szapocznik, Ph.D. , Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Maria Nardi, MLArch , Miami Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department, Miami, FL
Doris V Howe , Miami Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department, Miami, FL
Background. There are many public health examples of how mass media can collectively influence positive behavior change (anti-smoking, increase seatbelt use, etc). The University of Miami/(UM) Clinical and Translational Science Institute/(CTSI) seeks to advance “culturalized” health sciences — research and care informed by our region’s diverse populations and expedite scientific discovery and translation into evidence-based practice to benefit community health and well-being. As such, the UM/CTSI actively partners with the Miami Herald to facilitate communication. We describe here an example of how mass media, community partners and academia can create synergy to promote physical activity and healthy weight through targeted campaigns to influence individual behavior.

Methods. In an initial UM/CTSI meeting, community stakeholders identified the childhood obesity epidemic as the premier public health problem in our community. The UM/CTSI then identified existing active UM/community partnerships in healthy weight initiatives to promote via the Herald partnership. Our collaboration with Miami Dade County Parks via afterschool health and wellness programming and efforts on improving the built environment was chosen as the UM/CTSI cornerstone program to promote via our Herald partnership. Specific, replicable media strategies will be discussed in this presentation including branding and messaging; promotional benchmarking; effectively linking interactive, incentivized websites; and smart phone applications using “responsive design.”

Conclusions. Mass media can be a powerful tool and partner to deliver public health messages to improve community health. Mass media can educate, as well as engage in active partnerships to develop messages and promotions that resonate and support community-based programs.

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics

Learning Objectives:
List previous examples of successful mass media campaigns that have positively changed health behavior. Identify key replicable media strategies to promote public health messages. Discuss the advantage of partnering academia and community-based organizations with mass media outlets to promote public health messaging.

Keyword(s): Media, Health Promotion and Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Committed to public service and the enhancement of the community's quality of life through recreational services, I have dedicated my entire career to Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department (MDCRPOS) having served in it for more than 30 years. I was appointed Director of the MDCRPOS on December 2007 after previously serving as MDCRPOS Assistant Director for 7 years, wherein I developed extensive experience regarding the management of both the Recreation and Operations divisions.
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.