Promoting healhty eating and physical activity through beauty parlors, blogging and texting: The Healthy Diva Challenge

A pilot social marketing campaign that mixed traditional outreach methods with Internet and mobile-based resources to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity in African-American families by targeting African-American women ages 18-54.

The project recruited 15 beauty salons in low-income census tracts in San Diego as launch sites. Our goal was to determine the relevance and suitability of beauty salons as sites to promote healthy eating and physical activity and validate our multi-channel approach.

Over 10 months, the pilot focused on a self-conducted 60-day healthy eating and physical activity challenge supported by salon stylists, meet-up events with food and exercise demonstrations, a blog featuring recipes, exercise tips and exercise-friendly hairstyles from participating salons, and motivational text messages.

Our goal was to enroll 100 women and collect pre and post health assessments from each. In all, 119 women joined the challenge. There was a significant change in overall health self-reported between pre and post-tests. Participants reported being in very good or excellent health (40.2% at post-test vs. 28.2% at pre-test). Total fruit and vegetable consumption increased by over a half cup, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages decreased by a 1/4 drink, and weekly physical activities or muscle-building exercises increased.

Participants responded positively to the campaign, enjoyed receiving practical lifestyle information from their hair stylist, used the blog to exchange tips and made overall positive changes, including starting their own “mini-challenges” for better health. This multi-channel approach provided a unique model to educate African American women who might otherwise not be reached on important lifestyle issues.