Rina Alcalay

Salud para su Corazón: a community-based Latino cardiovascular disease prevention and outreach model.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for Latinos living in the United States. This population is generally unaware of important lifestyle or behavioral changes that can prevent CVD. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) designed and implemented Salud para su Corazón (Health for Your Heart), a culturally appropriate, community-based, theory-driven intervention model. NHLBIs goals were: (1) to design an intervention model appropriate to Latino populations; (2) to pilot test the model in a specific community with the objectives of increasing awareness about heart disease, raising knowledge about CVD prevention, and promoting heart-healthy lifestyles; and (3) to disseminate the model and the materials developed to other communities with similar needs. An agency-community partnership, under the leadership of the Community Alliance for Heart Health, guided all stages of the community intervention project. The multimedia bilingual community intervention included television telenovela format public service announcements (PSAs), radio programs, brochures, recipe booklets, charlas, a promotores training manual, and motivational videos. An evaluation survey assessed the impact of the intervention. A pre-post intervention survey was conducted with more than 300 participants, and results showed that the respondents were substantially more aware of risk factors for CVD, and had greatly increased their knowledge of ways to prevent heart disease. Dissemination efforts have resulted in numerous requests by health organizations, universities, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for educational materials and communication strategies produced by Salud para su Corazón. In addition, Univision, the largest Spanish-language broadcast television network, is airing the initiatives PSAs. Also, training seminars for promotores are being conducted in differ ent regions of the United States, and several locations are planning to replicate this study.

Frequency and Types of Foods Advertised on Saturday Morning and Weekday Afternoon English- and Spanish-Language American Television Programs

OBJECTIVE To describe food advertised on networks serving children and youth, and to compare ads on English-language networks with ads on Spanish networks. DESIGN Analysis of television food advertisements appearing on Saturday morning and weekday afternoons in 2005-2006. A random sample of 1,130 advertisements appearing on 12 networks catering to Spanish-language, children, youth, Black youth, and general audiences were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Each advertisement was coded for the nature of the item promoted, the selling propositions used, and any nutritional claims made. ANALYSIS Cross-tabulations using Fishers exact test (P < .05 criterion). RESULTS One-fifth of commercials were for food. Food ads were especially prevalent on Saturday programs and childrens networks. Seventy percent of food ads were for items high in sugar or fat. More than one fourth of food advertisements were for fast-food restaurants, which were especially common on MTV and Spanish-language networks. Ads for fruits and vegetables were rare (1.7%). One nutrition-related public service announcement was found for every 63 food ads. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Food advertisements continue to promote less-healthful items. Until marketing of high calorie, low-nutrient food to children is restricted, education and media literacy remain the best strategies for mitigating advertising effects.

Evaluation of a Community-Based Latino Heart Disease Prevention Program in Metropolitan Washington D.C.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for Latinos living in the United States. This population is generally unaware of important lifestyle or behavioral changes that can prevent CVD. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in collaboration with a community alliance designed and implemented Salud para su Corazón (Health for Your Heart), a culturally specific, community-based initiative to increase awareness about heart disease risk factors and knowledge about heart disease prevention, and to promote heart-healthy lifestyles. The initiative included messages about smoking cessation; weight loss if overweight; increase in physical activity; and checking blood pressure and cholesterol and treating them if high. Messages were communicated through multiple mass media, interpersonal, and outreach channels. A summative evaluation assessed the impact of the campaign. A pre- and post-campaign survey was conducted in the intervention community to assess whether the messages reached the target audience, and if the initiative had an effect. The sample of respondents included over 300 participants. Results showed that respondents were significantly more aware of risk factors for CVD after the campaign, and had greatly increased their knowledge of ways to prevent heart disease. Current behaviors to prevent cardiovascular disease had not changed at the post campaign measurement. Television, radio, and doctors were the most frequently cited sources of information for learning about the Salud para su Corazón initiative. Furthermore, the specific messages recalled and the source of information cited at post-test were similar to those promoted in the campaign, indicating it was successful in reaching the target audience.

Strategies and Practices in Community—Based Campaigns Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity

The strategies and practices employed in 50 community-based nutrition and physical activity interventions are reviewed from the perspective of a four-stage social marketing model. Goals and objectives established at the research and planning stage were infrequently grounded in data and theory. At the strategy design stage, concept/message pretesting was uncommon. Most campaigns disseminated material products through several channels and activities. At the implementation stage, community members were regularly enlisted as collaborators and a majority of campaigns identified sustainability as a long-term goal. In the evaluation stage, summative research was most often based on quasi-experimental methods. Self-reported knowledge and behavior effects were often assessed; morbidity and mortality campaign effects were rarely considered. Suggestions are offered for improving the design and execution of future interventions.

La comunicación para la salud como disciplina en las universidades estadounidenses

This article analyzes the state of development of communications related to health in universities of the United States of America. This specialty is essential for peoples well-being, and it involves interpersonal, organizational, and mass communications. In the United States, communications for health promotion is an area of applied communications with social relevance and generally performed in interdisciplinary settings. A number of universities in the United States offer communications masters degree programs with an emphasis on health. However, so far, the only program with a formal graduate degree in health and communications is one jointly offered by the Emerson University Department of Communications and the Tufts School of Medicine. Developing and including this specialization in the schools of communications in Latin America is crucial to improving the quality of life of the peoples of the continent.This article analyzes the state of development of communications related to health in universities of the United States of America. This specialty is essential for peoples well-being, and it involves interpersonal, organizational, and mass communications. In the United States, communications for health promotion is an area of applied communications with social relevance and generally performed in interdisciplinary settings. A number of universities in the United States offer communications masters degree programs with an emphasis on health. However, so far, the only program with a formal graduate degree in health and communications is one jointly offered by the Emerson University Department of Communications and the Tufts School of Medicine. Developing and including this specialization in the schools of communications in Latin America is crucial to improving the quality of life of the peoples of the continent.