Social marketing interventions aiming to increase physical activity among adults: A systematic review

A. Implication of theory of planned behavior and marketing mix variables in assessing the mindset of consumers for solar products in India

Purpose

Researchers are of the point of view that solar products are important, concerning society, environment and sustainability and thus with a standpoint belief that the awareness, as well as the perception of consumers, should be changed. With this understanding, this study aims to access and know the mindset of Indian consumers regarding solar products.

Design/methodology/approach

The respondent for the study was chosen from the four different states of India, i.e. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and one union territory of India, i.e. Jammu and Kashmir. For the best results, 501 questionnaires were distributed among selected areas. The interview method with the questionnaire was used by the researcher in the urban and rural areas of the Maharashtra, Bihar and urban areas of Uttar Pradesh. The data were also collected based on the questionnaire from Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The researchers have used the convenience sample method, as it was more suitable for the study. The researchers have targeted rural and urban areas to know the awareness of solar product utility with reference to the social marketing aspect.

Findings

Attitude, subjective norm, price and promotion variables impact consumers’ purchase intention.

Research limitations/implications

This study is useful for academicians, social marketers, business practitioners and researchers to enhance their knowledge about the perception of Indian consumers toward solar products.

Practical implications

This paper will help the social marketers focus on their thinking and activities, which in turn will help policymakers, people and professionals concerned with the social marketing aspect.

Social implications

It is hoped that this research work will add value to the social marketing aspect and help social marketers, policymakers, practitioners and society. The paper has accomplished connecting people with solar products for the betterment of society.

Originality/value

The paper contains original ideas and a unique perspective on social marketing, which will be useful for social marketers and practitioners.

Marketing Physical Activity? Exploring the Role of Brand Resonance in Health Promotion

Social marketing campaigns promoting moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) may be more successful when associated with strong brands. Little is known regarding how brand constructs such as brand resonance may be related to MVPA and its antecedents (e.g., having a physical activity identity). A better knowledge of these constructs and their relationships can reveal how to strengthen brands to make them more useful for interventions. The purpose of this study was to test a model linking ParticipACTION (a Canadian social marketing organization) brand constructs (brand affective attitude, identification, resonance), MVPA antecedents (behavioral affective attitude, identity), and MVPA. This study used a cross-sectional online survey design with a representative Canadian adult sample of 1,475 people (M age = 49.36; 49.1% female). Path analysis was conducted to test the model. Overall, the model fit the data well, demonstrating positive associations between brand affective attitude and identification, identification and resonance, resonance and both behavioral affective attitude and identity, behavioral affective attitude and both identity and MVPA, and identity and MVPA. The results suggest that building brand resonance is important for linking branding to MVPA variables. Brand management activities designed to target brand affective attitude may be crucial to helping people feel strong resonance with a brand in a way that supports behavior change.

Nutrition Meets Social Marketing: Targeting Health Promotion Campaigns to Young Adults Using the Living and Eating for Health Segments

Young adults are a key target age group for lifestyle behaviour change as adoption of healthier behaviours has the potential to impact long term health. This paper arises from a multi-disciplinary research project, Communicating Health, which aims to bridge the gap between nutritionists, media, and social marketing professionals to produce the tools that may be used to improve engagement with young adults and reduce the prevalence of obesity. The aim of this paper is to provide nuanced details of the psycho-behavioral characteristics of each of these Living and Eating for Health Segments (LEHS). The design and validation of the LEHS employed a four-stage mixed methods design underpinned by the Integrated Model of Behaviour Change and incorporating sequential formative, qualitative, and quantitative phases. This paper defines the psycho-behavioural characteristics of six distinct market segments: Lifestyle Mavens, Aspirational Healthy Eaters, Balanced-all Rounders, the Health Conscious, those Contemplating Another Day, and the Blissfully Unconcerned. These psycho-behavioural characteristics are important to understand to help build our capability in designing campaigns that are specifically and purposefully targeting these different market segments of young adults. Social marketing practices can enhance the utility of nutrition and health messages to young adults in order to engage them in adopting positive lifestyle change. Tailoring health promotions to the perceived needs of sub-groups or segments of young adults should lead to increased engagement and uptake of messages and cost-efficient use of health promotion budgets.

Influential social marketing interventions in physical activity promotion

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the influential social marketing factors for physical activity promotion.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive-survey approach is used in this study. First, the influential social marketing factors for physical activity promotion were determined through the review of theoretical foundations and literature. The factors with a >0.7 content validity index (CVI) value, based on the experts' opinion, were selected. A total of 23 individuals participated in the study, including sports marketing experts and members of physical activity committees of Iranian sports federations, and they were selected purposively. The study data were collected using a pairwise comparison questionnaire and analyzed using the DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP) method.

Findings

In this study, a total of 17 influential social marketing factors were identified and categorized in 5 dimensions: product, price, place, promotion and partnership. Based on DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP) results, the “promotion” with the weight of 0.212 was the most important dimension and “providing inexpensive sports services” with the weight of 0.096 was the most important social marketing factor influencing the promotion of the physical activity.

Originality/value

The results highlight the importance of sport for all services expenses and costs in promoting physical activity. Thus, the results can be the basis for policies regarding social marketing to promote physical activity.

Impacts of the National Your Brain Matters Dementia Risk Reduction Campaign in Australia Over 2 Years

BACKGROUND

The number of people living with dementia is rising globally due to population aging. Mass media campaigns which aim to reduce the risk of people developing dementia have been conducted across many countries, but few have reported evaluation findings.

OBJECTIVE

The present study investigated the impact of the Your Brain Matters dementia risk reduction campaign in Australia.

METHODS

The campaign was evaluated by observational cross-sectional surveys of 1000 Australian adults aged 18-75 years before and 24 months after delivery. The national campaign utilized multiple media channels to promote messages about the importance of brain health and reducing the risk of dementia. Dementia risk reduction knowledge, confidence, intentions and actions were measured at baseline and follow-up, and analyzed 2019-2020.

RESULTS

Earned television and radio were the most common exposure channels. The proportion of people who understood that it is beneficial to take action to reduce dementia risk before middle age increased (54.1% to 59.4%, OR 1.20 95% CI: 1.01-1.44). There was also an increase (28.5% to 32.8%, OR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.07-1.59) in the proportion who reported taking action to improve brain health. There was no improvement in knowledge about vascular risk factors, or confidence to reduce personal dementia risk.

CONCLUSION

The findings showed some receptivity and positive responses to messages about the benefits of taking action to reduce the risk of dementia. The campaign demonstrated the potential for generating news coverage about this issue, which should highlight the preventive benefits of vascular health behaviors.

Social Marketing Intervention to Engage Older Adults in Balance Workshops for Fall Prevention: A Multicenter Quasi-Experimental Protocol Study

Background: Falls affects one of three people after 65 years old, and it can lead to serious consequences. Scientific evidence point out that physical exercise is the most efficient way to prevent falls among older adults.

Objective: The main objective of this study is to determine if a social marketing program can increase the attendance rate of people aged 60 and over at group balance workshops.

Methods: This quasi-experimental multicenter study is being conducted in three French Regions (Loire, Haute-Loire and Rhône) over a period of 18 months. The Social Marketing Campaign will be done in three ways. Firstly, a Communication Campaign will take place in the two Test Areas but not in the Control Area. Secondly, flyers have been designed to be distributed by local partners. Finally, conferences for older people will be organized in the areas of intervention in order to reach the target audience for the program. The study will include people aged 60 and older who want to participate in the Balance Program.

Results: The Crédit Agricole Loire/Haute-Loire Foundation funded the study and the Jean Monnet University of Saint-Etienne reviewed it. The Ethics Committee of the University Teaching Hospital of Saint-Etienne approved and peer-reviewed it on September 6, 2019, under Reference Number IRBN622019/CHUSTE.

Conclusion: The results of this first study will demonstrate whether or not social marketing for promoting group balance workshops in the elderly will increase their attendanceship in adapted physical activity sessions, especially those that prevent falls.

Clinical Trial Registration:https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04136938, identifier NCT04136938.

Maximising the impact of global and national physical activity guidelines: the critical role of communication strategies

Objectives

Physical activity guidelines are evidence-based statements on recommended physical activity levels for good health. Guidelines, in isolation, are unlikely to increase population levels of physical activity; appropriate and effective communication is fundamental to maximising their impact. The aim of this paper is to provide a planning framework for physical activity guideline communication, including an overview of key audiences, aims and approaches.

Methods

All authors considered and agreed on the three broad issues to address by consensus. We identified key sources of evidence through scoping of the literature and our knowledge of the research area.

Results

Whether guidelines are global or national, communication of the physical activity guidelines should be informed by: (1) a situational analysis that considers the context in which the communication will take place and (2) a stakeholder analysis to determine the key target audiences for the communication and their values, needs and preferences. Audiences include policy-makers within and outside the health sector, other key stakeholders, the general public, specific population subgroups, health professionals and non-health professionals with a role in physical activity promotion. The aims and approach to communication will differ depending on the target audience.

Conclusion

Communication to raise awareness and knowledge of the physical activity guidelines must be supported by policies, environments and opportunities for physical activity. Besides the intrinsic value of the physical activity guidelines, it is essential that substantial effort is put in to diligently planning, funding and implementing their communication from the outset.

"Follow the Whistle: Physical Activity Is Calling You": Evaluation of Implementation and Impact of a Portuguese Nationwide Mass Media Campaign to Promote Physical Activity

To raise perceived capability (C), opportunity (O) and motivation (M) for physical activity (PA) behaviour (B) among adults, the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health developed a mass media campaign named "Follow the Whistle", based on behaviour change theory and social marketing principles. Comprehensive formative and process evaluation suggests this media-led campaign used best-practice principles. The campaign adopted a population-wide approach, had clear behavioural goals, and clear multi-strategy implementation. We assessed campaign awareness and initial impact using pre (n = 878, 57% women) and post-campaign (n = 1319, 58% women) independent adult population samples via an online questionnaire, comprising socio-demographic factors, campaign awareness and recall, and psychosocial and behavioural measures linked to the COM-B model. PA was assessed with IPAQ and the Activity Choice Index. The post-campaign recall was typical of levels following national campaigns (24%). Post-campaign measures were higher for key theory-based targets (all p < 0.05), namely self-efficacy, perceived opportunities to be more active and intrinsic motivation. The impact on social norms and self-efficacy was moderated by campaign awareness. Concerning PA, effects were found for vigorous activity (p < 0.01), but not for incidental activity. Overall the campaign impacted key theory-based intermediate outcomes, but did not influence incidental activity, which highlights the need for sustained and repeated campaign efforts.

Social marketing interventions for the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Social marketing is an approach to behavior change that contributes to disease prevention and control. This study aimed to understand how social marketing interventions have addressed neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It examined the characteristics, breadth of coverage, and outcomes of social marketing interventions focused on the prevention and control of these diseases.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Studies published in any language between January 1971 and April 2017, targeting at least one of the 17 NTDs prioritized in the World Health Organization (WHO) NTD Roadmap were considered. Included studies had interventions that applied both, at least one core social marketing concept, "social behavioral influence", and one social marketing technique, "integrated intervention mix", described in the Hierarchical Model of Social Marketing. This review is registered with PROSPERO CRD42017063858. Twenty interventions, addressing eight NTDs, met the inclusion criteria. They focused on behaviors related to four of the five WHO public health strategies for NTDs. Most interventions incorporated the concepts "relationship building" and "public / people orientation focus", and the technique "insight-driven segmentation". All the interventions reported changing behavioral determinants such as knowledge, 19 reported behavior change, and four influenced health outcomes.

CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE

Evidence from this study shows that social marketing has been successfully used to address behaviors related to most of the five public health strategic interventions for NTDs recommended by the WHO. It is suggested that social marketing interventions for the prevention and control of NTDs be grounded on an understanding of the audience and adapted to the contexts intervened. Building stakeholder relationships as early as possible, and involving the publics could help in reaching NTD outcomes. Elements of the intervention mix should be integrated and mutually supportive. Incorporating health education and capacity building, as well as being culturally appropriate, is also relevant. It is recommended that ongoing discussions to formulate the targets and milestones of the new global Roadmap for NTDs integrate social marketing as an approach to overcome these diseases.

Increasing Students’ Physical Activity in Function of Social Sustainability: Recommendations from a Social Marketing Perspective

The role of physical activity for social sustainability, as well as potential for social marketing to contribute to increasing the level of physical activity, are already documented in previous literature. Those considerations may gain additional importance in the context of student population, often confronted with the decrease of the level of physical activity, and in a country with scarce similar researches. The purpose of this study is to identify socio-demographic determinants of Serbian students’ physical activity. Physical activity was examined as an ordinal dependent variable (inactive, low-frequency activity, and recommended frequency activity) and an ordered logit model was implemented for examining its relations with students’ gender, age, household size, emotional status, accommodation, year of study, and living standard. The results show that 15.7% of students are inactive, 22.9% have low-frequency activity, while 61.3% met the recommended level of physical activity. The average probability of physical activity is larger for male students in comparison to female students. Students with better living standards are also more physically active. Finally, the average probability of physical activity decreases starting from students who live with their families, followed by those who live in a private accommodation, to students who live in a dormitory. Considering the obtained results, recommendations from a social marketing perspective are provided.

The Effects of Branding on Physical Activity: A Systematic Review

It is important to increase the number of people regularly physically active to enhance health. Physical activity (PA) promotion organizations with strong brands may be more effective at motivating PA. However, these organizations must know which brand equity variables (e.g., brand awareness) to prioritize in their marketing. No previous review has examined whether brand equity variables are associated with PA-related variables. The primary objective of this study was to learn whether brand equity variables are associated with PA behaviors (e.g., moderate or vigorous PA). A secondary objective was to evaluate whether brand equity variables are associated with potential correlates of PA (e.g., self-efficacy). In addition to other search methods, four databases were searched for articles (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Business Source Complete). Thirty articles met the eligibility criteria. Regarding behavior, brand awareness and associations were associated with moderate or vigorous PA but not less intense activities such as walking. For correlates, brand awareness was associated with self-efficacy, outcome expectations, attitude, and parental approval of child PA. Brand associations were only associated with attitude. Age and brand awareness measure emerged as moderators of the awareness to moderate or vigorous PA relationship. Future research should examine the antecedents of brand awareness and use experimental designs.

Analysing how physical activity competes: a cross-disciplinary application of the Duplication of Behaviour Law

Background

Despite the ongoing promotion of physical activity, the rates of physical inactivity remain high. Drawing on established methods of analysing consumer behaviour, this study seeks to understand how physical activity competes for finite time in a day – how Exercise and Sport compete with other everyday behaviours, and how engagement in physical activity is shared across Exercise and Sport activities. As targeted efforts are common in physical activity intervention and promotion, the existence of segmentation is also explored.

Methods

Time-use recall data (n = 2307 adults) is analysed using the Duplication of Behaviour Law, and tested against expected values, to document what proportion of the population that engage in one activity, also engage in another competing activity. Additionally, a Mean Absolute Deviation approach is used to test for segmentation.

Results

The Duplication of Behaviour Law is evident for everyday activities, and Exercise and Sport activities – all activities ‘compete’ with each other, and the prevalence of the competing activity determines the extent of competition. However, some activities compete more or less than expected, suggesting the combinations of activities that should be used or avoided in promotion efforts. Competition between everyday activities is predictable, and there are no specific activities that are sacrificed to engage in Exercise and Sport. How people share their physical activity across different Exercise and Sport activities is less predictable – Males and younger people (under 20 years) are more likely to engage in Exercise and Sport, and those who engage in Exercise and Sport are slightly more likely to Work and Study. High competition between Team Sports and Non-Team Sports suggests strong preferences for sports of different varieties. Finally, gender and age-based segmentation does not exist for Exercise and Sport relative to other everyday activities; however, segmentation does exist for Team Sports, Games, Active Play and Dance.

Conclusions

The Duplication of Behaviour Law demonstrates that population-level patterns of behaviour can yield insight into the competition between different activities, and how engagement in physical activity is shared across different Exercise and Sport activities. Such insights can be used to describe and predict physical activity behaviour and may be used to inform and evaluate promotion and intervention.

Longitudinal changes in domains of physical activity during childhood and adolescence: A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Physical activity (PA) participation is prone to decline during adolescence. An understanding of the domains of PA that are susceptible to decline may support a more targeted approach to PA and health promotion. The aim of this study was to review longitudinal trends in participation in four PA domains during childhood and adolescence: organized PA, non-organized PA, active transport and active chores.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

5517 research articles were sourced from five electronic databases (covering January 1997-April 2018). Eligibility criteria included repeated measurements of at least one PA domain among the same participants (5-18years of age).

RESULTS

23 studies were included, cumulatively reporting data from 27,231 participants. Few studies had a low risk of bias (n=6). Most studies of active transport reported an increase in participation during childhood, no change in the transition to adolescence, and no change or decline during adolescence. Most studies of organized PA reported an increase during childhood, an increasing or stable pattern in the transition to adolescence, and no change or decline during adolescence. Non-organized PA participation tended to remain stable among adolescent girls and decline among adolescent boys. Active chores increased during the transition to adolescence and then stabilized.

CONCLUSIONS

Potential strategies for PA promotion among youth may include targeting non-organized PA among adolescent boys or organized PA among late adolescent boys and girls. However, there is a continuing need for high-quality, longitudinal studies of participation in PA domains, particularly non-organized PA and active chores. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42017076888.

Creating Engaging Health Promotion Campaigns on Social Media: Observations and Lessons From Fitbit and Garmin

Background

The popularity and reach of social media make it an ideal delivery platform for interventions targeting health behaviors, such as physical inactivity. Research has identified a dose-response relationship whereby greater engagement and exposure are positively associated with intervention effects, hence enhancing engagement will maximize the potential of these interventions.

Objective

This study examined the social media activity of successful commercial activity tracker brands to understand which creative elements (message content and design) they use in their communication to their audience, which social media platforms attract the most engagement, and which creative elements prompted the most engagement.

Methods

Posts (n=509) made by Fitbit and Garmin on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram over a 3-month period were coded for the presence of creative elements. User engagement regarding the total number of likes, comments, or shares per post was recorded. Negative binomial regression analyses were used to identify creative elements associated with higher engagement.

Results

Engagement on Instagram was 30-200 times higher than on Facebook, or Twitter. Fitbit and Garmin tended to use different creative elements from one another. A higher engagement was achieved by posts featuring an image of the product, highlighting new product features and with themes of self-improvement (P<.01).

Conclusions

Findings suggest that Instagram may be a particularly promising platform for delivering engaging health messaging. Health messages which incorporate inspirational imagery and focus on a tangible product appear to achieve the highest engagement. Fitbit and Garmin employed difference creative elements, which is likely to reflect differences in their target markets. This underscores the importance of market segmentation in health messaging campaigns.