The Media Branding Healthy Lifestyle as “Cool”

Rachel Wilf-Miron, MD, MPHDirector, Healthy Living

26% of Israeli children are categorized as either overweight or obese

Israel is ranked last amongst 41 Western countries in the proportion of 15-year olds who are regularly physically active

Israeli youth are less likely to eat breakfast before school and more likely to drink sweetened drinks at least once a day

Children from less affluent communities demonstrate higher rates of obesity and lower rates of physical activity.

Motivation for Action: Local Facts

Recruiting the Media to Tackle Obesity

Tackling childhood obesity requires a normative cultural change, in which the media is a major player. The media is often accused of contributing to obesity by promoting unhealthy food commercials and a sedentary lifestyleA Paradigm Shift : A media company has decided to recruit its platforms to lead this change on a national levelAnaney Communication runs 15 TV channels & internet platforms, develops interactive media and owns production firms.

children women teens and young adults men

Healthy Living

A national initiative, led by the media, to encourage

1) Physical activity

2) Water drinking

3) Healthy nutrition

Healthy Living – Core Values

Branding health behaviors as “cool” and therefore easy to adopt, especially among the younger generation

360° massive media exposure, by recruiting TV channels, VOD, internet, social media and smartphone applications, on a long term basis, 365 days a year.

Field outreach: fun activities led by "TV talents" are filmed to create televised clips, fillers and documentaries.

Focus, Focus, Focus

The 3 sides of the triangle

represent the following

selected behaviors:

1. Physical Activity

2. Drinking Water

3. Healthy Eating Behavior

The Media as the Messenger

Through youth-targeted clips, commercials and segments, the Media can effectively relay both direct and indirect health-related messages, for example:

Direct message: Eating breakfast is the way to start the day before going to school (easy to present on TV and Facebook)

Indirect message: Healthy ingredients such as whole wheat bread are great ingredients to use for breakfast

Evaluation of a School-based Pilot Program

Healthy Living at ORT

ORT is the largest educational network in Israel

The model for media-led, school-based intervention was developed as a joint venture with Ananey and ORT

The pilot program was launched in January 2013, in two junior high schools, in cooperation with the R&D and Training Administration in ORT.

The Objectives of The Pilot

1 )To evaluate the feasibility of a newly designed initiative, led by the Media, to promote healthy lifestyle among students and

2 )To increase knowledge, shape attitudes and change students' behaviors regarding the 4 major themes on which "Healthy Living"

focuses :Drinking Water ;

Eating Breakfast Eating Family MealsRegular Physical Activity

The Intervention

Introducing the program to school administrations and tailoring it to fit local needs;

Recruitment of “Young Leaders," 65 eighth grade students, as agents of change among their peers.

Young Leaders were provided with workshops, lectures and educational materials. A production expert guided them in the planning and execution of health-promoting activities.

Young leaders and the program coordinator, showcasing a healthy lifestyle at schoolyard

Decorating school walls with healthy messages

The Intervention (cont’d)

Six special days or "peaks" of activity were organized for 280 junior high students (7-8th grade).

The six days included activities such as aerobic fitness, kickboxing, learning how to prepare fresh family meals and make a healthy sandwich for school, and culminated with a closing MTV dance party.

Fit ball aerobic exercise involving students and teachers

Young leaders prepare healthy breakfast for their peers

A known chef and student experience cooking, to encourage family meals

Methods

Effectiveness was evaluated by examining the change in knowledge, attitudes and reported behavior among 3 groups: young leaders, peers (7-8th grades) and a control group (9th grade students who were not exposed to the intervention). Students completed questionnaires “before and after.”

An external evaluation was conducted.

Results (1)

At the launch of the program all 3 groups were similar in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors.

Following the program, the groups differed significantly in PA (knowledge and % of those regularly active), breakfast eating related behavior and water drinking/sugary drinks consumption

Young leaders demonstrated the best scores.

Results (2)

Separate comparisons of each group (pre-post) revealed that the young leadership group demonstrated statistically significant changes in most study parameters

The peer group demonstrated significant changes with respect to knowledge of proper eating habits and perception of the importance of family meals, but failed to demonstrate behavioral change.

The control group did not demonstrate any significant change.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior – Before (n=58) and After the Initiative (n=57): Young Leadership Group.

P Value After Before  

Physical Activity (PA)0.449 66.7 63.8 Knowledge

0.009 80.7 58.6 Physically active on a regular basis

 

0.170

50.9 42.6 High frequency of PA**(≥5/weekX30 min+)

28.1 20.4 Moderate frequency of PA (3-4/week)

21.0 37.0 Low frequency of PA (0-2/week)

 

0.004

 

 

15.8 39.7 Short duration of PA** (accumulated activity of ≤1.5 hours per week)

56.2 48.3 Moderate duration of PA (1.5-5 hr/week)

31.6 12.1 High duration of PA (more than 5 hr/wk)

P Value After Before  

Eating Behavior

0.008 71.9 48.3 Moderate - High frequency of eating breakfast (2x/wk to

daily)

0.223 87.7 81.0 Moderate - High frequency of eating family meals (2-3x/week to daily)

0.123 4.5 4.2 Average score for the importance of eating family meals

(1=low, 5=high)

Water Drinking0.030 42.1 23.6 Knowledge*

0.003 40.4 67.2 Moderate =High frequency of drinking sugary drinks

(1-3x/week –daily)

0.003 29.8 57.1 Moderate –High quantity of drinking sugary drinks (between 3 cups per week to 3-5 cups/d)

0.020 48 37 Drinking water exclusively

0.025 42 31 Bringing a water bottle to school regularly

Media Campaign

A Healthy Living campaign directed towards families (mothers) and children began airing in August 2013.

Youth campaign, including a Beyoncé style clip for the MTV channel is currently in production

Future directions: Edutainment - Incorporating healthy messages in wildly successful youth TV series

Young stars spread the Healthy Living message

Kickboxing Training: A MTV Clip

Closing MTV Dance Party: A MTV Clip

Conclusions

The pilot program created, in a short period of time, considerable improvement of heath-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors among the young leaders.

Incorporating the media into the program helped reinforce health promotion messages and created a "buzz".

The model of students as agents of change seems effective

Modest effect on peers may be explained by sub-optimal exposure.

What’s Next

The ORT pilot will be continued and expanded (2 new schools will be joining this year)

A Healthy Living campaign directed towards families (mothers) and children began airing in August 2013.

Youth campaign, including a Beyoncé style clip for the MTV channel is currently in production

Health Care & the Media

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