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    Home > Resource hub > Mass media physical activity, nutrition and obesity campaigns in Australia

Mass media physical activity, nutrition and obesity campaigns in Australia

This narrative review examines the history of mass media campaigns for chronic disease prevention in Australia from 1996 to 2015. Nine recommendations are put forward.
  • Mass media campaigns addressing physical activity, nutrition and obesity in Australia 1996–2015: an updated narrative review

    Narrative review

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  • What is best practice for mass media campaigns addressing physical activity, nutrition and healthy weight in Australia?

    Evidence brief

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History of smoking and obesity campaigns

  • The use of mass media campaigns to address risk factors for chronic disease prevention has had a chequered history in the past three decades in Australia. There were initial successes with mass media anti-tobacco campaigns, starting with the first Quit Campaign in NSW in 1983.
  • Further development of mass media campaigns and associated activities in Australia led to major reductions in smoking rates, including in adolescent smoking.
  • The rise of obesity in the 1990s, and global increase in non-communicable diseases (especially diabetes and cardiovascular disease) led to substantial interest in using mass media campaigns in new areas, through the communication of health messages about healthy diet, physical activity and obesity prevention.
  • Mass media campaigns in these domains have occurred in many countries, but detailed informative evidence on their implementation and effects is reported infrequently. This patchwork of evidence on campaigns for physical activity, diet and obesity prevention led to this review.

The review considered 17 mass media health campaigns conducted in Australia from 1996 to 2015, the evidence related to their effects, and the way in which they were coordinated and implemented as part of the overall prevention system in Australia.

Nine key recommendations for health promotion mass media campaigns

  1. Campaigns should be part of an integrated, system-wide approach to prevention
  2. Campaigns and main messages should be consistent nationally
  3. Underpinning theory/logic models need to be made explicit and applied
  4. Clear, measurable campaign goals and objectives should be specified
  5. Linkages to broader strategies (beyond communication) should be further developed
  6. Campaign duration and investment should reach a defined impact threshold
  7. A campaign planning and evaluation protocol could contribute to better practice
  8. Campaign evaluations should be made publicly available
  9. Sustained campaign efforts over several years are required to achieve population impact

Details

DATE 14 Aug 2016

TYPE Evidence Reviews

Prevention experts

  • Erika Bohn-Goldbaum

    The University of Sydney
    Headshot of Erika Goldbaum
  • Emeritus Professor Adrian Bauman AO

    The University of Sydney
    Headshot of Adrian Bauman
  • Dr Joanne Gale

    Prevention Research Collaboration, The University of Sydney

Topics

  • Healthy eating ,
  • Overweight and obesity ,
  • Physical activity ,

Prevention methodologies

  • Implementation, evaluation and scale up ,
  • Prevention in the health sector ,

Related projects

  • Employing physical activity to prevent chronic disease

    Graphic of active adults and children
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Acknowledgement of Country

The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

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Funding Partners

The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre is funded by the NHMRC, Australian Government Department of Health, ACT Health, Cancer Council Australia, NSW Ministry of Health, Wellbeing SA, Tasmanian Department of Health, and VicHealth. The Australian Government also contributed through the Medical Research Future Fund. Queensland Health became a financial contributor in 2022. The Prevention Centre is administered by the Sax Institute.

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