Eating Disorders Chapter Six: Affecting Emotional and Physical Health. Hollie Pavlica, DrPH. Marketing in Public Health MPH 588.

Transcription

1 RUNNING HEAD: EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX Eating Disorders Chapter Six: Affecting Emotional and Physical Health Hollie Pavlica, DrPH Marketing in Public Health MPH 588 June 21, 2014

2 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 2 The target audience selected for this campaign includes tween youth (ages 9 to 12) residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and attending the fourth, fifth, and six grades. They were chosen because youth in the Albuquerque Metro area are 44.5 percent white or Caucasian, 44.3 percent Hispanic or Latino (Albuquerque Economic Development, n.d.) and are culturally representative the population most at risk for anorexia, bulmia and binge eating (Alegria, et al. 2007). Tweens in Albuquerque are not unlike other tweens. They are fashion-conscious, fadloving, and filled with attitude. They are mostly seeking to fit in with their peers (CDC, n.d.). It was recently reported that the things that tweens actually like to do include playing sports, taking classes such as fine art, dance or journalism classes; joining clubs; watching television; playing video games; snacking; reading; going to the mall; being part of a youth group; and social media (Surina, 2014). Social media is very important to tweens, as tweens today have never known a world without a social and mobile Web (Goldman, 2012). Although tweens typically do not own their own devices, they have become accustomed to their parents passing them a smartphone or tablet or using a tablet as part of their school learning. Tweens find traditional media boring and expect media to be interactive (Goldman, 2012). The action the target audience should take is to participate in the I m the star program. This is done by first committing to do the following every day: eat five fruits and vegetables, exercise for at least one hour, reduce screen time and media to two hours, and staying hydrated with water (512O Let s Go!, 2012). The second part of the program is to have all of the fourth, fifth, and six graders (at the identified schools) participate in a journalism class where they will be responsible for writing an article for a local publication (to be shared via print, blog, FB, and/or Twitter). The article will identify something each class would like to recognize as

3 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 3 amazing or outstanding that they have accomplished collectively or that one of their peers has accomplished. The major barrier or competitor to engaging in this behavior is that tweens are already going through many developmental changes during this time, this, combined with the need to have friends and to be accepted, leads youth to compare themselves to others, specifically their peers, and the media (Teens Health, 2014). This comparison affects confidence, self-esteem, and can create fears that if one does not look a certain way, they will become an outcast (Scholastic, 2014). These beliefs can also lead to behaviors that can cause eating disorders such as skipping meals, fasting, vomiting, taking diet pills and laxatives, and smoking cigarettes (NEDA, n.d.). Additionally it has been reported that teenagers who would otherwise be considered healthy believe they are overweight because of the media (McBride, 2011). By participating in the I m a Star program, the target audience will benefit in many ways. First and foremost they will be committed following the guidelines discussed above. The benefits of this include that they will start to develop healthy eating habits (5210, 2012), diminish their access to unhealthy messages from the media (Hideg, 2013), improve their cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, bone health, and cardiovascular and metabolic health biomarkers (WHO, 2014), and ensure that their body has enough water to function correctly (Beatty, Shelnutt, & Kauwell, 2013). By participating in the second part of the I m a star campaign, the publication, the target audience will learn about being healthy and will have buy-in to each article. They will be responsible for promoting a healthy body image and lifestyle and for seeking others who promote a healthy body image and lifestyle. Their work will be validated when it is published for the rest of the Metro area to read. This is important, as it instills a well-founded confidence in

4 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 4 the program making sure that the school and their staff have played a substantial role in the articles selection and implementation (AFT, 1999). Basically, they will believe the content of the publications, because they researched it themselves. They will also have confidence in their article because it was published for the entire Metro area to see. To lend credibility to this campaign there will be two measures. The first is to increase the number of tweens who demonstrate a healthy body weight in the Metro area. This will be measured by those participants who fall between the 5th and 85th percentile for weight on their respective growth chart. This is an inexpensive way to determine if the youth is at a healthy body weight based on their weight and height (CDC, 2011). Secondly, success will be measured by the number of participants that do not develop an eating disorder. This information will be obtained through consents requested from the parent or legally authorized representative of each participant. The consent will allow access to those facilitating the program to obtain the following medical information from each participant annually 1) their growth chart, and 2) current diagnostic information from their primary care physician. This information will be aggregated and used to determine 1) the total number of children each year (by age and gender) falling outside of the healthy weight as determined by their respective growth chart, and 2) the number of children who participated in the program who developed a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Given that tweens have become accustomed to interactive media, the best opening to reach this audience and the channels used to convey the message will start with the promotion of the Albuquerque Metro publication in a blog, on twitter blasts, and Facebook posts. The opening will seek young, enthusiastic, interesting, and talented youth between the ages of It will have an application for those in the metro area to apply if interested). It will be hyped with I m

5 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 5 the program. After the two week period, the channels used will include letters to be will be sent to the teacher s at each identified school announcing that they have been selected to participate. The blog will announce those selected and social media blasts will be initiated to promote their selection. Finally, with the assistance of the high school journalism classes and the career enrichment center, the message will continue to be promoted through the publications and channels developed by program participants themselves. The publications will be developed by each fourth, fifth, and sixth grade class will submit one article for publication to be edited and combined with those articles developed by a high school class of journalists. The hard copy of the magazine will be distributed at all of the public elementary schools (grades 4 and 5), and at all of the middle schools and the librarian at each school will distribute them to the appropriate grades and classes. The online version of the magazine will be available through the internet. DiClemente, Salazar, & Crosby (2013) explain that promotion strategies consist of an integrated use of different channels, such as the media or interpersonal communication or delivery systems, to promote the product and get the word out (p. 201). Given this, the high school aged journalism class will take excerpts from the magazine and include them in the blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook. Because the target audience must believe that the message is designed for someone like them or like the person he or she wants to be (Resnick & Siegel, 2011, p. 219), the image of this campaign is for all of the tweens to believe that they are stars because they are engaging in healthy eating and lifestyles. The image is that those who do so will become stars and are featured in the local magazine etc. as such. This way they can relate to their peers and those who are older than them (in high school) who also promote a healthy body image and lifestyle.

6 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 6 The Theory of Planned Behavior is primarily concerned with the extent to which a person or group of people perceive that they are able to control the outcome (DiClemente, Salazar, & Crosby, p. 72, 2013). Since this behavior is primarily in the control of the target audience, this theory may be the most beneficial to address those at risk for developing an eating disorder. Looking at this campaign within the TPB framework, TPB adds to the Theory of Reasoned Action s consideration of the attitude of the target audience and the subjective norms, because it also take into account the facilitating factors (benefits), and the inhibiting factors (competitors) of the target audience to engage in the desired behavior. In this case the use of the TPB provides a strong framework to address the attitude of the audience and subjective norms through the promotion of I m a star because it not only promotes healthy behaviors and lifestyles, while addressing the facilitating (benefits) and inhibiting (competitors) factors. It also, engages the audience to educate themselves, each other, and the Albuquerque Metro area. DiClemente et al. (2013) propose that high confidence and low temptation interacts to provide optimal conditions favoring successful progress to lasting behavior (p. 119). Because of this the type of message appeal used for this campaign will be youth appeals similar to those used currently in popular magazines targeted teens and tweens. The only difference is that instead of using models that are of an unhealthy weight, they will use models of a healthy weight (between the 5 th and 85 th percentile on their respective growth chart). Other differences include that the stars or persons of interest that the articles are focused on must be real people who live in the Albuquerque Metro Area. Additionally, there will be nothing allowed about fad dieting, or ways to lose weight. Instead there will be articles about eating healthy, being active, how to connect with peers, positive coping strategies, and places to seek help if needed.

7 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 7 REFERENCES (2012). Let s go! Retrieved from Albuquerque Economic Development. (n.d.). Demographics. Retrieved from Alegria, M. Woo, M. Cao, Z. S., Torres, M., Meng, X., Striegel-Moore, R. (2007). Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in Latinos in the U.S. International Journal for Eating Disorders 40(10), Retrieved from American Federation of Teachers (AFT). (1999). The importance of staff buy-in in the selection of proven programs. Retrieved from Beatty, J., Shelnutt, K., and Kauwell, G. (2013). Choose myplate: drink water instead of sugary drinks. University of Florida. Retrieved from Career Enrichment Center and Early College Academy (CEC). (2013). Retrieved From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d.). Audience insights. Communicating to Tweens (Aged 9-12). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2011). Healthy weight it s not a diet, it s a lifestyle! Retrieved from

8 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 8 Di Clemente, R.J., Salazar, L.F., Crosby, R.A. (2013). Health behavior theory for public health: Principles, foundations, and applications. MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning ICD10 Data (2014). Retrieved from Goldman, S. (2012). The social tween marketers take aim at kids raised on smartphones and Facebook. Adweek. Retrieved from Hideg, A. (2013). House call: Reducing screen time has host of benefits. Spokesman. Retrieved from has-host-of/ McBride, H. C. (2011). The media told me I m fat! how celebrity figures promote an unhealthy body image. CRC Healthgroup. Retrieved from treatment-center/texas-treatment-information/media-told-fat-celebrity-figures-promote- unhealthy-body-image/ National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). (n.d.). Get the facts on eating disorders. What Are Eating Disorders? Retrieved From eating-disorders Nation Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2011). Eating disorders. what are eating disorders. Retrieved From disorders/index.shtml Nation Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2007). Statistics. Eating eisorders. Prevalence. Retrieved From New Mexico Healthier Weight Council (n.d.). Retrieved From

9 EATING DISORDERS CHAPTER SIX 9 Resnick E. A., Siegel, M. (2011). Marketing public health: Strategies to promote social change (3 rd ed.). MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Scholastic. (2014). What your tween sees in the mirror. Retrieved from sees-mirror Surina, E. (2014). 10 Things tweens actually *like* to do after school. How stuff works. Retrieved from things-tweens-like-to-do-after-school.htm#page=0 Teens Health. (2014). Body image and self-esteem. Kids Health. Retrieved from Treuhaft, S., Karpyn, A. (2010). The grocery gap: Who has access to healthy food and why it matters. The Food Trust. Retrieved from World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). Physical activity and young people. Global strategy on diet, Physical activity and health. Retrieved from