Marian Levy

Does marketing undermine public health

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the success of marketing efforts by large companies that contribute to public health problems.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses current examples of marketing that undermine public health as well as actions of such companies to potentially improve products and ultimately, public health. It offers suggestions on how marketers and public health officials can partner to create a situation where outcomes can be positive for all parties involved.Findings – Current marketing efforts by corporate giants are hurting the public health. Marketers must team with public health officials to help improve public health through the marketing of healthy lifestyles.Practical implications – If marketers implement strategies that can combine healthy products with effective marketing communication strategies, they can remain profitable while engaging in socially responsible activities. Consequently, marketers have much to gain by working with the public health p...

Factors affecting the relationship between environmental concern and behaviors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the mediating factors affecting the relationship between environmental concerns and sustainable behaviors. Design/methodology/approach – The authors survey 467 respondents and use a structural equation modeling approach to assess environmental involvement and willingness to pay more for green products as mediating variables between a multi-dimensional measure of environmental concern and sustainable behaviors. Findings – The findings suggest that environmental involvement and willingness to pay more for green products mediate the relationship between environmental concern and sustainable behaviors. But of the three dimensions of environmental concern, only concern for energy is statistically significant in the model. Research limitations/implications – The results empirically validate the multi-dimensionality of the environmental concern construct and its relationship with consumers’ sustainable behaviors. Both involvement and willingness to pay more fo...

Preventing cigarette use in a bi-ethnic population: Results of the memphis smoking prevention program *

Previous research has shown that smoking prevention programs significantly reduce rates of adolescent smoking. However, most such programs have been evaluated using primarily Caucasian samples. As a result, little is known about the efficacy of existing curricula with African American youth. Further, few attempts have been made to modify prevention programs for African American students. Thus, these programs may be less relevant for African American children than Caucasian youngsters. To address these issues, we have developed a smoking prevention program specifically for an ethnically diverse population. This curriculum, known as the Memphis Smoking Prevention Program, was submitted to a large-scale randomized pilot evaluation. In this report, we summarize the effects of the program on smoking-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral expectations.

Active Travel to School: Findings From the Survey of US Health Behavior in School‐Aged Children, 2009‐2010

BACKGROUND Whereas childrens active travel to school (ATS) has confirmed benefits, only a few large national surveys of ATS exist. METHODS Using data from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2009-2010 US survey, we conducted a logistic regression model to estimate the odds ratios of ATS and a linear regression model to estimate the adjusted mean differences of the percentage of ATS within a school. RESULTS Overall, 21.4% of children engaged in at least one way of active travel to or from school. ATS was less common for trips to school than from school. Greater distance to school was a major barrier preventing children from ATS. Children living in large cities were more likely to engage in ATS, and schools located in a large city had higher proportions of ATS rate. Children having lower family satisfaction, or engaging in a greater number of physically active days during the past week were all more likely to engage in ATS. CONCLUSIONS Although ATS is low among US children, significant variation exists. HBSC is a promising data source for an ATS study. As the first study to explore the variation of ATS at school level, this research contributes uniquely to current knowledge.

Innovations in Public Health Education: Promoting Professional Development and a Culture of Health

As the field of public health advances toward addressing complex, systemic problems, future public health professionals must be equipped with leadership and interprofessional skills that support collaboration and a culture of health. The University of Memphis School of Public Health has infused innovative strategies into graduate education via experiential learning opportunities to enhance leadership, collaboration, and professional development. Novel training programs such as Day One, Public Health Interdisciplinary Case Competition, and Memphis Healthy U support Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health cross-cutting competencies and prepare Master of Public Health and Master of Health Administration graduates to function effectively at the outset of their careers and become catalysts for creating a culture of health.

Reaching Consumers Through Effective Health Messages: A Public Health Imperative

With the launch of the Affordable Care Act, the continuing obesity crisis and economic ramifications, and advocates arguing for individuals to be proactive about their physical well-being, the topi...

Calcium and Vitamin D Intake of Boys Who Have Autism

Objective. To determine the calcium and vitamin D intake of boys with autism ages 7 to 12 years and to compare these intakes with the dietary reference intake (DRI). Design. This study is a cross-sectional design using data obtained from a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire that assesses daily calcium and vitamin D intake. Subjects. Subjects were recruited through the Autism Society of America. Forty-seven parents or caretakers of eligible subjects were included. Twenty-two of the subjects were boys with autism ages 7 to 8, and 25 of the subjects were boys with autism ages 9 to 12. Results. Seventeen out of 22 boys with autism ages 7 to 8 consumed significantly less calcium (P = .0085) and vitamin D (P = .0085) than the age-appropriate DRI. Twenty-three out of 25 boys with autism ages 9 to 12 consumed significantly less calcium than the DRI levels (P = .0001). Twenty-one out of 25 boys with autism ages 9 to 12 also consumed significantly less vitamin D than the age-appropriate DRI levels (P = .0045). ...

A Preliminary Examination of Facts Up Front: Survey Results from Primary Shoppers and At-Risk Segments

This article was written by Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD, FADA, director of university nutrition, Washington University, St Louis, MO; Marian Levy, DrPH, RD, FAND, assistant dean of students and public health practice and associate professor of social and behavioral sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN; Robert Murray, MD, professor of human nutrition, The Ohio State University, Columbus; Marla Stafford, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management, University of Memphis, TN; and Jeremy Kees, PhD, associate professor, Department of Marketing, Villanova University, Villanova, PA.

Civilian-military interface in catastrophes requiring aeromedical evacuation

Significant differences exist between civilian and military medical procedures, training, and protocols as related to identification, selection, and preparation for aeromedical evacuation. These differences currently create barriers to effective patient care, unnecessary failures in medical logistics systems, and increased costs and risks to military aeromedical crews and patients during times of crisis. This paper provides a review of the existing literature on civilian and military medical procedures and examines terminology, training practices, and related aeromedical evacuation training and processes. Based on the results of this review, we recommend an integrative training program for civilian healthcare and public health responders. An effective interface will assist the military to better meet its civilian support responsibilities during a local, regional, or national catastrophe, while optimising use of its aeromedical evacuation capabilities.

Marketing active transportation to school to improve children’s health: Utilizing parental perspectives from an inner-city environment

ABSTRACT Thirty years ago, nearly half of the children in the United States walked or rode their bikes to school. Today, less than 15% of children actively commute to school. With the growing obesity epidemic, encouraging children to walk or bike to school has become a national priority. This research examines factors that influence parental decisions allowing their children to walk to school in an urban environment to identify effective marketing and communication strategies to reach those parents. Results indicate differences in parental perspectives across populations; suggestions for effectively marketing the Safe Routes to School program to minority populations are provided.