Analysis of Mass Media's Role in Childhood Obesity Control: Report

This report delves into the critical role of mass media in controlling childhood obesity, presenting a comprehensive analysis of various media resources and their impact on health communication. The report is divided into two parts. Part 1 provides a detailed table comparing different types of media, including newspapers, social media, television, radio, and leaflets, outlining their advantages, disadvantages, supporting literature, and relevant theories like Cognitive Development Theory and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Part 2 offers an in-depth introduction to health communication, emphasizing the importance of multimedia campaigns in promoting health awareness and influencing behaviors. It explores the rationale behind media health promotion, the importance of a planned approach, and the communication objectives related to childhood obesity. The report also discusses the health risks associated with childhood obesity, supporting marketing strategies, and an evaluation of the entire plan, with relevant references. The primary objective of the report is to highlight the effectiveness of mass media in spreading awareness about childhood obesity and promoting healthier lifestyles among children.

Multimedia Health Communication

Table of Contents
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
Topic: Role of mass-media for Obesity control in Children............................................................1
Table: Mass media resources for health promotion.....................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
PART 2............................................................................................................................................9
Introduction......................................................................................................................................9
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................9
Rationale for media health promotion activity............................................................................9
Importance of multimedia and planned approach for media campaign....................................10
Health issue and communication objectives..............................................................................10
Supporting theory for marketing media strategy.......................................................................11
Evaluation of entire plan............................................................................................................12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

PART 1
Topic: Role of mass-media for Obesity control in Children
Table: Mass media resources for health promotion
Types of
media
Advantages Disadvantages Supporting
theory
Literature Evidence
1.
Newspaper
Newspaper
refers to most
prominent form
of the marketing
media
communication,
which can be
used for health
campaigning in
affordable and
timely,
especially to
reach at local or
rural geographic
area. Through
this media,
healthcare
agencies or
government can
easily spread
awareness about
growing issue of
obesity and
more, including
risk for life to
Limited
creative
opportunities
and lack of
visual
representation
as well as
growing
attention of
readers towards
digital media,
they rarely go
through entire
information of
information.
So, this might
affect the aim
of health
campaigns.
Along with this,
only literate
people can read
information and
understand
behind any ad
Cognitive
Development
Theory
Aci, O.S., Ciydem, E.,
Bilgin, H., Ozaslan, Z.
and Tek, S., 2020.
Turkish newspaper
articles mentioning people
with mental illness: A
retrospective
study. International
Journal of Social
Psychiatry,
p.0020764019894609.
1

people more
easily.
or health
campaign. This
would create
limitations for
spreading
awareness
among people
about health
issues.
2. Social
Media
Social media
provides
multiple
strategies to
promote health
campaigns,
where through
particular
websites, site-
based
advertisement,
You-Tube
videos and other
social
networking
sites, message
regarding with
health issue can
easily be spread.
Message can be
targeted to
searches site of
This advertising
strategy
although refers
to be a cost-
efficient way
for reaching a
large audience,
but it may
prove
ineffective for
reaching
towards
populations that
have no internet
access, or
people who do
not use social
media
Social
Cognitive
theory
Mehmet, M., Roberts, R.
and Nayeem, T., 2020.
Using digital and social
media for health
promotion: A social
marketing approach for
addressing co‐morbid
physical and mental
health. Australian Journal
of Rural Health.
2

users on the
internet. Along
with this, social
media
marketing also
considered as
cost-effective to
reach targeted
audience and
help in getting
feedback of
them for way to
overcome from
health issues
3. Television TV is
considered as
one of the great
source for
advertising the
health campaign
related to issue
and way of its
prevention or
treatment. It
helps in
reaching
towards more
targeted
audience. Since
today, most
growing issue
Although
television ads
help in reaching
large audience
at both rural
and urban
areas, but it
requires high
costs to
promote health
campaign on
various
channels.
Social
cognitive
theory
Hoffman, B.L., Cafferty,
L.A., Jain, P., Shensa, A.,
Rosenthal, E.L., Primack,
B.A. and Sidani, J.E.,
2020. Patient-centered
Communication
Behaviors on Primetime
Television. Journal of
Health Communication,
pp.1-10.
3

that people are
facing is obesity
related health
problems,
therefore, if at
early childhood
age, weight of
children will be
controlled then
it will help in
preventing them
from such
problems. So,
such
information in
more detail can
easily be
provided to
public through
television
media. This
would help in
adding video,
graphics and
more to make
content more
visible for
audience.
Another main
advantage of
using television
4

advertising for
health
promotion it
that fosters
emotion and
empathy
through heart
breaking
content about
seriousness of a
health issue.
4. Radio It refers to
effective way
for reaching
towards target
audience, with
minimal cost of
production as
compared to
other mass
media. Along
with this,
accessibility to
captive the
public i.e. “talk
radio” shows
helps in
spreading
awareness about
health issue
more easily.
Lack of visual
representation,
less
affordability
and less
durability show
the major
disadvantages
of radio
advertising as
compared to
other mass
media. Along
with this, poor
attentiveness
and
fragmentation
refers to
primary
drawback of
Social
Constructive
Theory
Muela-Molina, C.,
Romero-Rodríguez, L.M.
and Business, E.S.A.I.,
2020. THE
IRRESPONSIBLE SELF-
REGULATION OF
MEDIA IN SPAIN:
HIGH-GRADE
ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGE
ADVERTISING IN
SPORTS RADIO
PROGRAMMES. Journal
of Legal, Ethical and
Regulatory Issues, 23(1).
5

Advertising
works also with
more frequency
and repeatedly.
Furthermore,
being less
expensive,
immediate as
well as catching
listeners’
attention is
another main
benefit of using
radio for health
campaign
this media,
which may get
less
engagement of
targeted
audience.
5. Leaflets Posting leaflets
at people’s
doors refers to
be popular and
traditional way
for promoting a
campaign,
which takes less
cost i.e. Leaflets
are as
significantly
cheaper than
investment in a
digital
marketing
strategy to
People may be
discarded
leaflet once
reading and
may avoid to
read message if
it is presented
with poor
quality and
creativity. It
also doesn’t put
a long term
impact on
people mind
unless capture
their attention
Diffusion
innovative
theory
Karlsson, S., Ridbäck, A.,
Brobeck, E. and Norell
Pejner, M., 2020. Health
Promotion Practices in
Nursing for Elderly
Persons in Municipal
Home Care: An
Integrative Literature
Review. Home Health
Care Management &
Practice, 32(1), pp.53-61.
6

produce
information and
distribute to
potential
customers. It
also helps in
spreading large
information in
easy to read
manner.
Thus, through this table analysis, it has been evaluated that there are many resources
available of mass media for spreading health awareness issues and messages for well-being of
people. As present issue is regarding with increases cases of overweight of children at their early
age, which may cause obesity and other risks. Therefore, to bring awareness among people and
grab their attention, it is highly essential to use multi-media marketing strategies.
REFERENCES
Karlsson, S. and et. al., 2020. Health Promotion Practices in Nursing for Elderly Persons in
Municipal Home Care: An Integrative Literature Review. Home Health Care Management
& Practice. 32(1). pp.53-61.
Muela-Molina, C., Romero-Rodríguez, L. M. and Business, E. S. A. I., 2020. THE
IRRESPONSIBLE SELF-REGULATION OF MEDIA IN SPAIN: HIGH-GRADE
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE ADVERTISING IN SPORTS RADIO
PROGRAMMES. Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues. 23(1).
Hoffman, B. L. and et. al., 2020. Patient-centered Communication Behaviors on Primetime
Television. Journal of Health Communication, pp.1-10.
Mehmet, M., Roberts, R. and Nayeem, T., 2020. Using digital and social media for health
promotion: A social marketing approach for addressing co‐morbid physical and mental
health. Australian Journal of Rural Health.
Aci, O. S. and et. al., 2020. Turkish newspaper articles mentioning people with mental illness: A
retrospective study. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, p.0020764019894609.
7

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PART 2
Introduction
Health communication or mass media campaign includes both written and verbal strategies for
influencing and empowering individuals, communities and populations, to concern on their well-
being and make healthier choice (Weissová and Prokop, 2019). Mass media campaign integrates
a number of components about models and multiple theories like social media marketing, to
promote changes in perception of people for living a healthy life. Such components also include
research-based strategies for shaping materials and resources to select best channel for spreading
message to audience (Kim and et. al., 2019). Therefore, consideration of health literacy, to
convey a message through mass media channels, “Obesity control in children” is chosen as
health issue under present essay. It depicts how increasing weight of children arise risks for them
to live a healthy life. This essay covers importance of multimedia and planned approach for
marketing the message on chosen topic. It also demonstrates risks that children might face due to
obesity, with supporting theory for marketing strategy.
Main Body
Rationale for media health promotion activity
To prevent people from growing issues of health that decreases their quality of life day by
day, mass media campaigns are used (Gittelsohn and et. al., 2019). This would help in exposing
high proportion of targeted audience to message via radio broadcasting, newspapers, leaflet,
social media and more. Exposure of such messages is generally passive which transfer from
word mouth in large population, by competing with factors like behaviour which driven by habit
or addiction, powerful social norms, product marketing and more. Therefore, the main reason
behind mass media campaign is to raise awareness about health-risk behaviour among people
(Shahsanai and et. al., 2019). This would help in producing positive changes as well as
preventing from negative ones across large people. It also contributes about concurrent
availability to protect people from risk behaviours, community-based programmes, government
interventions and health policy.
9