National Media Campaign Research Articles

Fear appeals in advanced tobacco control environments: the impact of a National Mass Media Campaign in Norway

Norway has one of the most comprehensive infrastructures for tobacco control in the world and has launched several media campaigns recent years. Can yet another anti-smoking campaign, using fear appeal messages, have an immediate impact on smoking behavior, motivation to quit and health beliefs? A sample of smokers (N = 2543) completed a survey before and after a 7-week national media campaign. Individual exposure to campaign (unaided recall) was used as predictor of change. We observed no statistically significant effect on smoking status but tendencies were in the expected direction for daily smokers (P = 0.09). There were no effects on number of cigarettes per day, likelihood to quit or reduce smoking. Small but statistically significant effects were found on motivation to quit (P < 0.01, ηp(2) = 0.004) and perceived seriousness of health hazards (P < 0.05, ηp(2) = 0.002). In addition, there was an increase in interpersonal discussions about health and smoking for those exposed to the campaign (P < 0.01, ηp(2) = 0.008). We conclude that there are very small effects of a relatively short and intense mass media campaign on a population of smokers already exposed to one of the most comprehensive tobacco control programs in the world.

Encouraging Smokers to Talk With Their Physicians About Quitting

OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, PHYSICIANS MAY see an increase in patients asking for help in quitting smoking. Why? The Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently launched the second stage of its national media campaign, Tips from Former Smokers (Tips). Some of the ads include a new call to action with the message, “You can quit. Talk with your doctor for help.” This “talk with your doctor” initiative provides physicians with a golden opportunity to help more patients quit smoking. The Tips campaign motivates smokers to quit and directs smokers who want help to evidence-based cessation resources. The campaign ads feature real stories from former smokers about how serious smoking-related diseases have affected their lives and their families. The campaign includes both well-known consequences of smoking such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as lesser-known consequences such as stroke, heart disease, head and neck cancer, Buerger disease, and exacerbation of asthma and diabetes. Stories emphasize the morbidity caused by smoking, rather than mortality, based on what we heard from smokers during formative testing. The campaign includes ads for television, radio, billboards, newspapers, and magazines, as well as for digital and social media channels. Each Tips ad ends by providing a cessation resource for smokers who want help quitting: 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which directs callers to their state quitlines for free cessation counseling, or the Tips campaign website, which provides information on the campaign and practical quitting advice. National television ads during the week of May 27 will include the “talk with your doctor” call-to-action message, and it will continue to be promoted for the remaining 3 weeks of the campaign. This message is intended to empower patients to ask their physicians for advice about quitting smoking and to make it easier for clinicians to engage smokers in this conversation. How can physicians use the Tips campaign to raise the topic of quitting with patients who smoke? First, physicians can ask patients if they have seen any of the Tips ads, what they think of the ads, and if the ads motivated them to try to quit. Physicians can also underscore the truth of the stories in the ads, based on their experience with patients who smoke. If patients have not seen the ads, physicians can encourage them to view the ads. Physicians can also place Tips posters (available from the health care practitioner section of the Tips website) in waiting rooms and examination rooms. What can a physician do when a patient asks for help in quitting smoking? The Tips campaign provides a great opportunity to discuss a patient’s concerns about smoking and quitting, as well as to personalize the risks the patient faces from smoking, and strongly encourage the patient to quit. Physicians can also reassure patients who smoke that, although quitting is difficult, they can succeed, reminding them that more than half of all Americans who ever smoked have successfully quit. In addition, physicians can encourage their patients to use evidence-based treatments, including individual, group, and telephone counseling and the 7 US Food and Drug Administration−approved medications, and let patients know these methods can double their chances of success. Patients can access more cessation resources at the Tips campaign website, including materials and links to the National Cancer Institute’s cessation programs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been working with numerous professional associations, such as the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, to get the word out about the “talk with your doctor” initiative. For example, a scripted card is available to assist physicians in navigating the process of intervening with patients who smoke. To support the “talk with your doctor” initiative, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a special section of the Tips campaign website for health care practitioners, which includes links to materials and resources.

Abstract 218: Do mass media campaigns about stroke influence the number of calls to Emergency Medical Services Dispatch Center?

Introduction: Raising public awareness of stroke warning signs has been attempted in several places. Studies show that stroke recognition by the public is challenging and efficiency of mass media campaigns remains uncertain. In France, national mass media campaigns have been launched since 2002, including FAST warning signs (http://www.strokeassociation.org). End October 2011, a campaign was launched with radio and TV spots. In fall 2012, radio spots were broadcasted during 10-days and were later followed by other media such as TV and press. Each campaign cost 1.5M$. Influence of these campaigns on the number of calls to Emergency Medical Services dispatch center (EMS) was evaluated during these periods in an EMS, located in Paris area and serving an urban population of 1.5 Million inhabitants. Methods: Data concern 1258 calls to EMS for stroke collected from 10/2/2011 to 11/23/2012. Number of calls was analyzed for this time period, with a specific focus on the 2 campaign periods. In addition, patients’ socio-economic profile and delay from symptoms’ onset to call were compared 1 month before and 1 month after these 2 campaigns. Results: More calls occurred during the 1 st campaign, with a rapid normalization of calls afterwards, whereas the 2 nd campaign did not increase number of calls (figure 1). In 2011 more males called EMS after the campaign but with no significant difference. In 2012, younger people called more, but with no difference in gender or residential area. The patients did not call earlier after both campaigns (table 1). Conclusion: These 2 campaigns had no impact on the amount of calls. Moreeffort should be made on patients’ education and a new strategy to reach target population must be clearly defined.

Managing the consequences of cancer treatment and the English National Cancer Survivorship Initiative

Background. In 2007 the English National Cancer Survivorship initiative was launched as a partnership between a national charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, the English Department of Health (DH) and the quality improvement agency NHS Improvement. The initiative involved a number of work streams, one of which was to improve the detection and management of the Consequences of adult cancer Treatment (COT). Material and methods. The adult COT group took evidence from a range of stakeholders and published a vision and work programme focused on awareness raising, linking self- administered questionnaires to routine activity data collection and testing new models of care with a particular focus on pelvic cancers. Results. Key outputs include national media campaigns, publications demonstrating the value of linking cancer treatment episodes to routine recording of chronic illness, identification of sensitive Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) items for use in national surveys, evidence reviews and published national guidelines, together with the development of a three level risk stratified model of care. Pilot testing with survivors treated for pelvic cancers, and adult survivors with radiation-induced brachial plexopathy has been completed. Conclusion. Early results suggest that a systematic approach to the prevention, detection and management of some treatment-related consequences can significantly improve the ability of patients to manage their conditions. As a result of these findings, new services have now been commissioned by the NHS, initially for those with complex problems.

Analysis Of Media Campaign Promoting Smoking Cessation Suggests It Was Cost-Effective In Prompting Quit Attempts

The American Legacy Foundation's national EX® campaign, which ran on radio and television in 2008, was designed to promote smoking cessation among adult smokers. The incremental societal cost of EX, in 2009 dollars, was $166 million. Data from eight designated media market areas studied indicate that in a hypothetical nationwide cohort of 2,012,000 adult smokers ages 18-49, EX resulted in 52,979 additional quit attempts and 4,238 additional quits and saved 4,450 quality-adjusted life-years. Incremental cost-utility estimates comparing EX to the status quo-that is, the situation that would have existed in the eight markets with no campaign and no change in cessation behavior-ranged from a cost of $37,355 to $81,301 per quality-adjusted life-year, which suggests that the campaign was cost-effective. These findings bolster previous evidence that national mass media campaigns for smoking cessation can lower smoking prevalence in a cost-effective manner, among both adults and young adults ages 18-24 who are smokers.

An audit of the Beaumont Hospital Acute Stroke Unit and the effectiveness of the Irish FAST campaign

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and the leading cause of acquired disability in adults. An audit conducted by the Irish Heart Foundation revealed that there are inadequate services and facilities to prevent, assess and treat the yearly 10 000 stroke victims in Ireland. A national media campaign (FAST) was broadcast to educate people about the warning signs of stroke. This audit is to examine the effectiveness of the Beaumont Hospital Acute Stroke Unit and the FAST campaign.

“Pinch, Leave an Inch and Roll”: Applying the Communication-for-Behavioural-Impact (COMBI) Approach to the Promotion of Proper Male Condom Use in Jamaica

IntroductionTHE PROMOTION OF CONSISTENT CONDOM has been a longstanding strategy in the response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The generic use a condom every time message has been featured in many health communication campaigns promulgating consistent condom use. This article recounts the experience of the Pinch, Leave an Inch and Roll campaign which focused on the specific steps of putting on a male condom properly, and targeted males aged fifteen to twenty-four years. The campaign was planned during 2008 and implemented during 2009-2010 by the National HIV/STI Programme of Jamaica as one strategic communication activity within their overall behaviour change communication which includes a mix of mediated and interpersonal communication-based interventions. Communication for Behavioural Impact (COMBI), a multifaceted approach to communication planning, is used as the framework for understanding the process of creating the Pinch, Leave an Inch and Roll campaign. It must be noted that while the COMBI approach was not purposefully used in the entire planning process of the campaign, it is applied here post-implementation as a way to conduct a structured review of what occurred during the evaluation, design, and execution stages. Of the National HIV/ STI Programme's many campaigns, Pinch, Leave an Inch and Roll was chosen as a good example of communication in action because summative evaluation indicated that it had a relatively high message recall one year after its implementation.1 The campaign also employed many of the tenets of development communication campaign planning.2Background to the National HIV/STI Programme and its condom promotion activitiesThe National HIV/STI Programme of Jamaica was established in 1986 by the Ministry of Health as an extension of the former Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Programme, which was in existence from 1930. The National HIV/STI Programme is responsible for coordinating and leading the implementation of Jamaica's response to HIV and AIDS. In order to fulfil this mandate, the National HIV/STI Programme focuses on four main components: prevention; treatment, care and support; enabling environment and human rights; and monitoring and evaluation.3Within the HIV-prevention component of the National HIV/STI Programme, behaviour-change communication interventions promoting safer sexual behaviour are created to control the transmission of HIV and AIDS among the wider population and, in particular, among the most at-risk populations which include sex workers, men who have sex with men, people living with HIV, out-of-school youth, homeless drug users, and inmates. The prevention efforts aimed at changing risky sexual activities and sustaining safer sexual practices a multisectoral approach. The HIV prevention team within the Ministry of Health collaborates closely with other agencies offering services that are useful to the various targeted populations. In order to ensure that individuals possess the self-efficacy to adopt and maintain relevant behaviours, the HIV prevention team utilises a number of strategies, including community outreach activities and special events which usually include free HIV testing, and distribution of free condoms coupled with condom demonstrations undertaken by the client and guided by the intervention officer. These are supported by national media campaigns which not only provide information but also encourage the practice of appropriate safer-sex behaviours such as consistent condom use.Other strategies of the National HIV/STI Programme's HIV prevention component include the of cultural vehicles such as television shows and party interventions. Through sponsoring of various television and party events, the programme is able to position its efforts in locations which are likely to increase the visibility of key messages and allow for the conduct of condom demonstrations. In 2009, for example, the National HIV/STI Programme sponsored Magnum Kings and Queens of the Dancehall, the popular Jamaican dancehall competition aired weekly on the television station TVJ. …

Effectiveness of a National Media Campaign to Promote Parent–Child Communication About Sex

Although there is debate on the effectiveness of youth-focused abstinence education programs, research confirms that parents can influence their children's decisions about sexual behavior. To leverage parent-based approaches to adolescent sexual health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the Parents Speak Up National Campaign (PSUNC) to encourage parent-child communication about sex. Previous experimental studies have found the campaign to be efficacious in increasing parent-child communication. But to date, the actual reach of the campaign and its real-world effectiveness in promoting parent-child communication has not been established. The present study addresses this gap. The authors surveyed 1,804 parents of 10- to14-year-old children from the nationally representative Knowledge Networks online panel. The survey included questions about parents' awareness of PSUNC ads and parent-child communication behaviors. The authors also analyzed market-level data on campaign gross rating points, a measure of market-level intensity of PSUNC advertising in the United States. Multivariate regressions were used to examine the association between PSUNC exposure and a three-item scale for parent-child communication. Overall, 59.4% of parents in the sample reported awareness of PSUNC. The authors found that higher market-level PSUNC gross rating points were associated with increased parent-child communication. Similar relationships were observed between self-reported awareness of PSUNC and increased frequency of communication and recommendations to wait. These associations were particularly strong among mothers. This study provides the first field-based data on the real-world reach and effectiveness of PSUNC among parents. The data support earlier experimental trials of PSUNC, showing that the campaign is associated with greater parent-child communication, primarily among mothers. Further research may be needed to develop additional messages for fathers.

Knowledge of Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Self-nurturance, and Heart-Healthy Behaviors in Women

A woman's risk for developing cardiovascular disease dramatically increases with the number of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). Early intervention to treat and address the risk for CVRFs can substantially reduce cardiovascular disease in women. However, women's knowledge of CVRFs is poor, despite national media campaigns since 1997. Thus, the aims of this study were to investigate knowledge of CVRFs, level of self-nurturance, and heart-healthy behaviors in 35- to 55-year-old women. This cross-sectional survey study was guided by the Nemcek Wellness Model, which proposes that health is enhanced through self-nurturance. Premenopausal women from medically underserved areas/populations or professional shortage areas were recruited from a chain discount department store on weekday evenings and weekend days. Women (N = 147) self-completed a survey on demographic information, measures of knowledge about CVRFs, participation in daily physical activity, and daily dietary intake. Most participants were white (94.9%), with a mean age of 45.2 years. Participating women's knowledge of CVRFs was higher than previously reported, but was not significantly (P > .05) related to any heart-healthy behaviors studied. Self-nurturance was moderately correlated with heart-healthy dietary intake scores (P = .002), but did not add further explanatory power for heart-healthy behaviors. The model's key concepts of knowledge and self-nurturance provided minimal explanatory power in this study. These data suggest that women are becoming more knowledgeable about CVRFs but that increased knowledge has not been translated into behaviors that would sustain heart health. Future research is needed to explore the "intention-behavior gap" between knowing what one should do and implementing the recommended behavior changes and to assist women in translating knowledge of CVRFs into heart-healthy behaviors.

Use of Propensity Score Matching to Evaluate a National Smoking Cessation Media Campaign

Sustained mass media campaigns have been recommended to stem the tobacco epidemic in the United States. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to estimate the effect of awareness of a national smoking cessation media campaign (EX) on quit attempts and cessation-related cognition. Participants were 4,067 smokers and recent quitters aged 18-49 in targeted U.S. media markets. Controlling for potential confounders through PSM and regression analysis, confirmed awareness of EX was not significantly associated with either outcome at 6-month follow-up. Matched analyses excluding 217 quitters resulted in a significant effect of EX on both outcomes.

PIN2 Facing Critical Health Events: Economic Impact Of AH1N1 Flu Epidemic In The Mexican Health Sector, 2009-2010

Analyze the economic impact of the A-H1N1 flu epidemic for the health sector in Mexico in the 2009-2010 period, that resulted in the first pandemic of the XXI century, in order to plan the resources provision and review policies aimed to deal with similar future events. The exercise had several stages. First, a collect of the expenditures incurred by the health sector at federal level between April 2009 and August 2010 was made. Second, the collected information was classified into two areas of analysis: a) health care expenditures, and b) additional costs from purchasing and application of vaccines, medical equipment, drugs and health products, federal support to states, and national media campaigns. Third, health care expenditure and expenditure by area of analysis was estimated by aggregating all costs. Total federal expenditure related to addressing the epidemic in the health sector was estimated in USD$ 733.3 million, 32% linked to health care and 93.7% exercised in 2009, corresponding to 11.2% of the total health expenditure budget for this year. This expenditure involved medical attention of 368 thousands patients, purchasing and application of 6.8 million of anti-flu seasonal vaccines and 30 million of anti-AH1N1flu vaccines. For health care, a total expenditure of USD$ 216.7 million was estimated, 80% exercised in 2009, that involves medical attention of 330 thousand patients. A total expenditure of USD$ 516.3 million was estimated for additional costs, more than 99% exercised in 2009. The main component of this area was the purchase and application of A-H1N1 flu vaccine (USD$ 228.8 million). The exercise allows knowing the mayor spending areas and generates evidence to strengthen the financial and operational planning processes to face similar health events, such as the need to anticipate resources and contingency funds in addition to administrative and operational processes.

Cigarettes and plain packaging: the battle lines are drawn

Cigarettes and plain packaging: the battle lines are drawn

Results of a national mass media campaign in India to warn against the dangers of smokeless tobacco consumption

ObjectiveSmokeless tobacco consumption in India is a significant source of morbidity and mortality. In order to educate smokeless tobacco users about the health harms of smokeless tobacco and to denormalise...

Evaluation of Time to Change, a nationwide anti stigma campaign

The Time to Change anti stigma campaign is the largest campaign of its kind to be attempted in England. Launched in 2009 and running until 2011, the campaign aims to improve public knowledge and attitudes and to decrease discriminatory behaviour towards people with mental illness. The evaluation of the campaign presented here illustrates findings regarding various aspects of the campaign, including a national media campaign, local projects and an online resource.

A national mass media smoking cessation campaign: effects by race/ethnicity and education.

To assess the effectiveness of a large-scale, national smoking cessation media campaign, the EX campaign, across racial/ethnic and educational subgroups. A longitudinal random-digit-dial panel study conducted prior to and 6 months following the national launch of the campaign. The sample was drawn from eight designated media markets in the United States. The baseline survey was conducted on 5616 current smokers, aged 18 to 49 years, and 4067 (73% follow-up response rate) were resurveyed at the 6-month follow-up. The primary independent variable is confirmed awareness of the campaign advertising, and the outcome variables are follow-up cessation-related cognitions index score and quit attempts. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted within racial/ethnic and educational strata to assess the strength of association between confirmed awareness of campaign advertising and cessation-related outcomes. Confirmed awareness of campaign advertising increased favorable cessation-related cognitions among Hispanics and quit attempts among non-Hispanic blacks, and increased favorable cessation-related cognitions and quit attempts among smokers with less than a high school education. These results suggest that the EX campaign may be effective in promoting cessation-related cognitions and behaviors among minority and disadvantaged smokers who experience a disproportionate burden of tobacco-related illness and mortality.

Organizational Use of a Media Campaign Booklet to Encourage Parent–Child Communication about Waiting to Have Sex

Promoting parent—child communication through the use of print materials may be an important health communication approach for preventing teen sexual activity in the United States. Although prior work has suggested successful methods of disseminating print materials, research has not examined dissemination approaches across organization types. Understanding the use and dissemination of print materials among different organizations is crucial to guiding materials development in a way that maximizes uptake and effectiveness among consumers. Accordingly, this study examined the use of a booklet for parents that encouraged parent–child communication about waiting to have sex as collateral material for a national media campaign. We interviewed staff at 9 community organizations, 9 health care facilities, 5 school-based organizations, and 3 campaign outreach centers. Results suggested variability within and across organization types regarding use of the booklet. Community and outreach center staff tended to walk through the booklet content with parents; health care facilities and education-oriented organizations usually reported both direct and indirect distribution approaches. Staff identified useful elements of the booklet and made suggestions for dissemination in line with prior research. A better understanding of how print materials are utilized to supplement media campaigns can improve their usefulness and potential influence on health behaviors.

Constituency Campaigning in Ireland Under STV: The Perspective of the Candidates

This paper uses the Irish component of the Comparative Candidate Survey project to explore constituency level campaigns in Ireland. In the context of generalisations about candidate-centred politics, it addresses three questions: how far do local campaigns focus on the candidates themselves, what is the role of the candidates in obtaining the resources used in the campaign, and what is the impact of local candidates and their activities on the vote choice. The data suggest the great importance of local candidates and their activities in campaigns. Candidates are local, embedded in the communities, and most of the campaign is designed to ensure the candidate’s name is well known to voters by the time they make their choice. While party labels may be of huge importance in electoral choice, candidates compete with one another, within and across parties for support and in general their activities are designed to showcase them rather than their parties. A well-resourced campaign has a very significant association with success, particularly in the case of non-Incumbent candidates. This is not to say that a national media campaign, or a focus on party leaders does not takes place, nor that the national campaign has no impact. Rather it demonstrates how the local supplements the national, and the local campaigns take their own form and have their own style.

Human papilloma virus vaccination: perceptions of young Korean women

This paper is a report of a descriptive study of young Korean women's perceptions of use of the human papilloma virus vaccine. In Korea, cervical cancer is one of the leading cancers in women, and the rate of human papilloma virus infection is increasing. A national media campaign has recently begun to promote human papilloma virus vaccination. However, research addressing the acceptability of this vaccine to women in Korea has been limited. Twenty-five Korean women, 21-30 years of age, participated in seven focus groups. The data were collected in 2007. Participants were concerned about the potential harmful effects of the human papilloma virus vaccine, a possible increase in unsafe sexual behaviours, and the high cost of the vaccine, which is not covered by health insurance. They suggested group vaccination at-cost or free of charge. They discussed ambivalence about the vaccination, the need for more information about the vaccine, and questions about its effectiveness. Most preferred to wait until more people have been vaccinated. There is a need for more aggressive dissemination of information about the safety and efficacy of the human papilloma virus vaccine. More reasonable cost, insurance coverage, or free vaccination using a group approach might increase young Korean women's acceptance and use of the human papilloma virus vaccine.

Mass Media Interventions to Reduce Youth Smoking Prevalence

Mass media interventions for reduction of youth cigarette smoking have been recommended based on a broad array of evidence, although few randomized community trials have been reported. Four matched pairs of independent media markets were identified; one member of each pair was randomized to receive the intervention. School surveys were conducted in all markets, in 2001 before (n=19,966) and in 2005 after (n=23,246) the interventions were completed. Grade 7-12 students from public schools in these eight medium-sized metropolitan areas participated in the summative evaluations; Grades 4-12 students were targeted to receive mass media interventions in four of these markets. Four simultaneous campaigns consisting of specially developed messages based on behavioral theory and targeted to defined age groups of racially and ethnically diverse young people were placed in popular TV, cable, and radio programming using purchased time for 4 years. Prevalence of youth smoking and psychosocial mediators of smoking. No significant impacts of these interventions on smoking behaviors or mediators were found for the overall samples. A positive effect was found for one mediator in subgroups. Among Hispanic participants a marginally favorable effect on smoking prevalence and significant effects on mediators were found. General awareness of smoking prevention TV messages was slightly higher over time in the intervention areas. Mass media interventions alone were unable to induce an incremental difference in youth smoking prevalence, probably because of a relatively strong tobacco control environment that included a substantial national smoking prevention media campaign.

Promoting Physical Activity Among Youth Through Community-Based Prevention Marketing

Community-based prevention marketing (CBPM) is a program planning framework that blends community-organizing principles with a social marketing mind-set to design, implement, and evaluate public health interventions. A community coalition used CBPM to create a physical activity promotion program for tweens (youth 9-13 years of age) called VERB Summer Scorecard. Based on the national VERB media campaign, the program offered opportunities for tweens to try new types of physical activity during the summer months. The VERB Summer Scorecard was implemented and monitored between 2004 and 2007 using the 9-step CBPM framework. Program performance was assessed through in-depth interviews and a school-based survey of youth. The CBPM process and principles used by school and community personnel to promote physical activity among tweens are presented. Observed declines may become less steep if school officials adopt a marketing mind-set to encourage youth physical activity: deemphasizing health benefits but promoting activity as something fun that fosters spending time with friends while trying and mastering new skills. Community-based programs can augment and provide continuity to school-based prevention programs to increase physical activity among tweens.