Promoting physical activity among youth through community-based prevention marketing.
BACKGROUND
Community-based prevention marketing (CBPM) is a program planning framework that blends community-organizing principles with a social marketing mind-set to design, implement, and evaluate public health interventions. A community coalition used CBPM to create a physical activity promotion program for tweens (youth 9-13 years of age) called VERB Summer Scorecard. Based on the national VERB media campaign, the program offered opportunities for tweens to try new types of physical activity during the summer months.


METHODS
The VERB Summer Scorecard was implemented and monitored between 2004 and 2007 using the 9-step CBPM framework. Program performance was assessed through in-depth interviews and a school-based survey of youth.


RESULTS
The CBPM process and principles used by school and community personnel to promote physical activity among tweens are presented. Observed declines may become less steep if school officials adopt a marketing mind-set to encourage youth physical activity: deemphasizing health benefits but promoting activity as something fun that fosters spending time with friends while trying and mastering new skills.


CONCLUSIONS
Community-based programs can augment and provide continuity to school-based prevention programs to increase physical activity among tweens.
Florida Prevention Research Center, University of South Florida College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd (MDC 056), Tampa, FL 33612-3805, USA. cbryant@health.usf.edu
Carol A
CA
Bryant
Anita H
AH
Courtney
Robert J
RJ
McDermott
Moya L
ML
Alfonso
Julie A
JA
Baldwin
Jen
J
Nickelson
Kelli R
KR
McCormack Brown
Rita D
RD
Debate
Leah M
LM
Phillips
Zachary
Z
Thompson
Yiliang
Y
Zhu
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D040241:Social Marketing