P137 Evaluation of Social Marketing Campaign to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Intake in SNAP-Ed Eligible Adult Georgians, 2017-2019

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> Social marketing (SM) has the potential to deliver nutrition education messages targeted to low-income individuals, but limited evidence is available on its feasibility in SNAP-Ed programs. <h3>Objective</h3> To examine the process and impact of the Partnership for a Healthier America's FNV campaign to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in SNAP-Ed eligible adults in Georgia during the 3 consecutive summers in 2017-2019. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Process evaluation was conducted throughout the campaign using commercial administrative data reporting tools. After each year's FNV campaign, outcome and impact evaluation implemented the same self-administered post-intervention survey using 3 modalities (ie, online, intercept, and direct mail surveys) while employing a non-randomized control study design (2017-2018) or one-group posttest-only design (2019). During the 3-year campaign, 1,904 Georgians (mean age 49.3 ± 16.6, 77.9% female, 62.6% minority, 82.6% from intervention counties) from 7 intervention and 3 control counties participated in the survey. <h3>Intervention</h3> Each year's FNV campaign used a mix of billboards, radio ads, newspaper ads, food retail ads, and Facebook available in the selected SNAP-Ed eligible zip code areas to saturate FNV messages while partnering with local stakeholders including County Extension Agents. <h3>Outcome Measures/Analysis</h3> Process evaluation estimated program reach, impressions, dosage, and engagement. Outcome and impact evaluation assessed participants' awareness and intention to change due to campaign exposure. <h3>Results</h3> Over the 3 summers, the FNV campaign reached over 2 million people and generated 10.3 million impressions with 154,403 engagements and provided critical process evaluation data on the successes and challenges of the programmatic and evaluation strategies tested. Those exposed to the FNV campaign were more likely to report willingness and actual behaviors of eating of >1 fruits and vegetables/day than those not exposed. <h3>Conclusions and Implications</h3> The findings of the 3-year FNV campaign suggest the feasibility and impact of SM for low-income audiences and will inform a new statewide SNAP-Ed SM intervention development in Georgia.