Browsing by Subject "Social marketing"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Beyond obesity : historical, social change approaches to improve the fitness of Americans
(2014-08) Harrell, Baker Christian; Todd, Jan
America's growing concern about fatness during the twentieth century developed in parallel with a society that made it increasingly harder to live a healthy lifestyle. Since the 1970s, sweeping political, economic, cultural, and familial changes have occurred in the United States. Many researchers argue that these changes have created an "obesogenic" environment that has contributed to the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in America by favoring inactivity and the over consumption of highly-processed, calorie-dense foods and beverages. As a result, the field of public health has increasingly begun to recognize obesity as a "societal disease." In 2001, The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity categorized the number of overweight and obese Americans as reaching "nationwide epidemic proportions." Since that time, America has waged an all-out "war on obesity." Instead of a broader emphasis on health promotion, some public health researchers have suggested that this heightened focus on obesity is 1) guided by America's historically-rooted social disdain for fatness and 2) insufficient to improve the healthy lifestyles of Americans. In searching for a solution to the so-called "obesity epidemic," a growing number of researchers have begun to look to models of social change. After an introductory chapter describing the scope of the problem, this dissertation provides an historical analysis of two, relevant social change models. The first historical case study is an examination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's VERB social marketing campaign. The second study explores the model of social movements through the history of the aerobics "boom" of 1970s America. Based on these histories, this dissertation concludes by proposing a blended approach that harnesses the strengths of both models to organize and advance America's healthy living movement.
Promoting women's health in Texas: suggestions for maximizing the benefits of the Women's Health Program
(2011-05) Bennett, Mary, M.A.; Drumwright, Minette E.; Mackert, Michael
This thesis presents a collection of recommendations on how to increase participation in a Texas Medicaid family planning program, called the Texas Women’s Health Program, or WHP. Based on findings discovered during a series of thirteen elite interviews, these suggestions range from communications strategies, such as preferred media channels, to general policy and program implementation recommendations. A review of marketing and health communication literature was also employed as a means of supporting and complementing interview findings. Set in the bitter family planning climate of a Bible-belt state, this study provides an in-depth look at how public health policies and outreach efforts can be improved by taking a marketing approach.
Social marketing : a theory based approach to influencing attitude and behavior change toward mental health among African American students at the University of Texas at Austin
(The University of Texas at Austin, 1997-12) McCann, Melissa; Cunningham, Isabella C. M.
Understanding the target audience : using demographics and theory to develop communication campaigns for bystander intervention initiatives
(2016-06-29) Mabry-Flynn, Amanda Dell; Mackert, Michael; Brownson, Chris; Donovan, Erin; Eastin, Matthew; Bernhardt, Jay
Bystander intervention initiatives are quickly becoming the preferred approach to reducing the high rates of sexual assault on college campuses across the United States. Although research on the effectiveness of bystander intervention is growing rapidly, little attention has been paid to how campus programs can best design strategic mediated communication campaigns to promote and support these efforts. Effective use of mass mediated communication campaigns can reach students who may not be inclined to attend bystander-related events and can begin to influence attitudes and beliefs associated with engaging in bystander behavior. The purpose of this study was to provide an evidence base for creating strategic campaigns that are grounded in theory. To that end, relevant theoretical factors drawn from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) that may be associated with students engaging in bystander behavior were examined. Additionally, individual- and community-level demographics were explored to identify underlying factors that may contribute to differences in TPB beliefs. Findings and implications for communication campaigns are discussed, along with study limitations and opportunities for future research.