Developing a Health Communication Tool – Engaging Target Audiences

Developing a Health Communication Tool – Engaging Target Audiences

Childhood Obesity

The topic of focus throughout the Health Communication project has been childhood obesity. The main aim of the Health Communication project has been to improve the levels of awareness of childhood obesity among the general population to help improve public health outcomes related to obesity and obesity-associated health complications. Childhood obesity was selected as a topic of interest as it has become a critical public health concern for a number of reasons. Firstly, prevalence rates of childhood obesity in the United States have kept on growing over the years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2022) reporting that an estimated 14.7 million, representing 19.7% of children and adolescents in the U.S., were obese as of 2020. Additionally, childhood obesity is not only highly prevalent and growing, but it also increases the risk of developing chronic conditions later in life, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, liver and kidney complications, and early hypertension (Smith et al., 2020). Additionally, childhood obesity also creates negative emotional and psychological impacts including low self-esteem. Notably, a more concerning reason for the focus on childhood obesity is the notable lack of awareness of the risk of childhood obesity or denial by parents of the reality of obesity among their children (Hildebrand et al., 2021). Furthermore, as Jia et al. (2021) note that most childhood obesity cases are attributed to poor eating habits and easily accessible fast-food outlets, there is a need to create awareness among the target audience to improve treatment and preventive efforts.

The project included conducting market research to define the target audience. The target audience was initially identified as individuals working with and close to children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years. This was later revised, and stakeholders such as the policymakers and players in the food markets, including restaurant owners and food manufacturers, were included. The project also adopts a social marketing strategy as the main marketing approach to improve awareness of childhood obesity across the target audience. Social marketing, according to Kish-Doto and Poehlman (2021), is a fit marketing strategy that combines the strengths of behavioral theories, a persuasive approach, and marketing science to initiate and sustain the desired behavioral reactions to achieve health goals. The social marketing strategy will adopt an infographic as the main health communication tool to provide both informative and engaging information on childhood obesity to the target audience.

The message in the infographic will be tailored to meet the needs of each target audience group and keep them engaged. For instance, to convince children to choose healthy food over fast foods, the infographic will utilize colorful visuals and short messages that identify the risks of obesity as a child and the benefits of eating healthy and keeping fit by presenting physical activities as fun. For parents and social workers, the message conveyed will focus on defining the effects of childhood obesity in the long term, including its impact on the health of the child, as well as the costs of childhood obesity to the parents’ finances. It will also provide ways for parents and the community to encourage children to remain fit. For policymakers and food manufacturers, the message will focus more on persuading the government and policymakers to regulate the food markets including marketing strategies and types of foods sold. It will also act as an advocacy to push the government to support healthy food programs for vulnerable populations. On the other hand, the message to food manufacturers will focus on convincing and encouraging them to manufacture and sell healthier food and beverage options with reduced sugar and salty contents, as well as use healthier fat and oil options. Overall, through a collaborative approach achieved through effective health communication, it is possible to raise awareness of childhood obesity, its risks, and its factors, as well as strategies to treat and prevent the condition and associated complications.

 References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (17 May 2022) “Childhood Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity.” CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html.

Hildebrand, D. A., Betts, N. M., & Gates, G. E. (2019). Parents’ Perceptions of Childhood Obesity and Support of the School Wellness Policy. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(4), 498–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JNEB.2018.12.009

Jia, Peng, et al. (2021) “Fast-Food Restaurant, Unhealthy Eating, and Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Obesity Reviews, vol. 22, no. S1, p. e12944, https://doi.org/10.1111/OBR.12944.

Kish-Doto, J., & Poehlman, J. A. (2021). Social Marketing as a Public Health Intervention. The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Social Marketing, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14449-4_89-1

Smith, J. D., Fu, E., & Kobayashi, M. A. (2020). Prevention and Management of Childhood Obesity and Its Psychological and Health Comorbidities. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16, 351–378. https://doi.org/10.1146/ANNUREV-CLINPSY-100219-060201

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Students will compile each milestone and develop a Final Health Communication Draft Project to create a Health Communication tool. Also, put in the draft how can you create a compelling message that will resonate with your target audience. Example: how will you convince children to eat healthy?

Developing a Health Communication Tool – Engaging Target Audiences

How can you persuade them to eat healthy food?