Jen Nickelson

Promoting Physical Activity Among Youth Through Community‐Based Prevention Marketing

BACKGROUND 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. METHODS 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. RESULTS 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. CONCLUSIONS Community-based programs can augment and provide continuity to school-based prevention programs to increase physical activity among tweens.

What proportion of preschool-aged children consume sweetened beverages?

BACKGROUND Obesity affects nearly 17% of US children and youth 2-19 years old and 10% of infants and toddlers under the age of 2 years. One strategy for addressing obesity is to discourage sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Compared with their older school-aged counterparts, children ≤ 5 years depend largely on parents for the purchase and serving of SSBs. Therefore, recognizing parental factors associated with childrens intake of SSBs is important. METHODS This study used cross-sectional data from parents of children ≤ 5 years old to examine SSB consumption and associated factors. Elements of the Health Belief Model and Theory of Reasoned Action facilitated data analysis and interpretation. RESULTS The most consistent predictor of SSB intake was child age. Nearly 94% of children aged 3-5 years consumed sweetened milk products, 88% consumed fruity drinks, 63% consumed sodas, and 56% consumed sports drinks and sweet tea. Adjusting for all other factors, the only parental psychosocial factor associated with SSB intake was self-efficacy (predicting fruity drinks consumption). CONCLUSIONS More children drink SSBs as they get older. Interventions designed to prevent SSB consumption should occur early, before children reach preschool age. Additional study of parental factors influencing SSB intake in early childhood is recommended.

Assessing local capacity for health intervention

Because of their location within the practice realm, participatory, community-based public health coalitions offer many lessons about implementing and sustaining local interventions. This paper presents a case study of capacity assessment at the local level. Capacity evaluation methods are presented, with emphasis on the theoretical framework used to guide the evaluation. The capacity evaluation framework presented herein was theoretically based and designed to generate practical information to facilitate the adoption of a locally tailored youth obesity prevention program, VERB Summer Scorecard (VSS). Using multiple methods, four aspects of community capacity were assessed, including community, knowledge and skills, resources, and power. Within each category, factors that facilitated or impeded program implementation were distinguished. The evaluation protocol was designed to generate information increasing community capacity to sustain a community-based obesity prevention program. Capacity tables were used as a program-planning tool and as a system for sharing implementation and sustainability requirements with potential adopters. This case study also explores how to use capacity assessment results to empower coalitions to serve as catalysts for development of local programs in other communities.