2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

332218
Are we there yet? Exploring the use of digital and social media to promote healthy eating and physical activity among minority youth and parents


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Chandria D. Jones, PhD, MPH, Westat, Rockville, MD
Sharon Desmond, PhD, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD
Debra Rog, PhD, Westat, Inc, Rockville, MD
Nanmathi Manian, PhD, Westat, Rockville, MD
Nataly Johanson, B.S., Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Many social marketing campaigns use digital and social media such as video games, texting, and the Internet, to communicate messages about healthy eating and physical activity. However, the effectiveness of these media in changing behaviors for minority populations is not well understood. A secondary data analysis was conducted on data from 14 focus groups with African American, Hispanic and Latino, and American Indian youth and parents to explore what digital and social media communication strategies would be most effective in helping minority youth and parents engage in healthy eating and physical activity. Data was analyzed in terms of source, message, channel, and receiver. Results indicated youth and parent suggestions around digital and social media communication strategies were very similar to tried and true communication practices such as using celebrities to encourage healthy behaviors, having the person delivering the message "be like them", making material visually appealing, and using catchy slogans and songs. A better understanding of how digital and social media is being used and which communication strategies are preferred by African American, Hispanic and Latino, and American Indian youth and parents will help guide the development of more effective health promotion messages and interventions in low-income minority communities.

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Explain how digital and social media can be used to influence eating and physical activity preferences Identify cultural differences and similarities among African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian youth and parents regarding communication preferences Describe how traditional media compares to digital and social media in promoting healthy eating and physical activity among minority youth and parents

Keyword(s): Communication Technology, Minority Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Senior Study Director at Westat with over 10 years of experience in public health focusing on behavioral health, childhood obesity, health disparities, and evidence-based practices. My research is concerned with social and environmental factors associated with obesity in children and adults, particularly among low-income minority populations. In previous work, I developed tools and products that use innovative communication and dissemination strategies to convey public health messages through digital and social media.
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.

Back to: 3072.0: Health Communication with Youth and Adolescents (organized by HCWG)