title: Church-based social marketing to motivate older adults to take balance classes for fall prevention: cluster randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determine whether a church-based social marketing program increases older adults' participation in balance classes for fall prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2009-10, 51 churches (7101 total members aged ≥ 60) in Colorado, U.S.A. were randomized to receive no intervention or a social marketing program. The program highlighted benefits of class participation (staying independent, building relationships), reduced potential barriers (providing convenient, subsidized classes), and communicated marketing messages through church leaders, trained "messengers," printed materials and church-based communication channels. Between-group differences in balance class enrollment and marketing message recall among congregants were compared using Wilcoxon Two-Sample Test and regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to 25 control churches, 26 churches receiving the social marketing program had a higher median proportion (9.8% vs. 0.3%; p<0.001) and mean number (7.0 vs. 0.5; IRR=11.2 [95%CI: 7.5, 16.8]) of older adult congregants who joined balance classes. Intervention church members were also more likely to recall information about preventing falls with balance classes (AOR=6.2; 95% CI: 2.6, 14.8) and availability of classes locally (AOR=7.7; 95% CI: 2.6, 22.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Church-based social marketing effectively disseminated messages about preventing falls through balance classes and, by emphasizing benefits and reducing barriers and costs of participation, successfully motivated older adults to enroll in the classes.
authors.affiliation: Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Campus Box B119, 13001 E 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Electronic address: Carolyn.DiGuiseppi@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Carolyn G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: DiGuiseppi
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Dr S, Denver, CO 80246, USA.
authors.forename: Sallie R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Thoreson
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Utah, 10S 2000 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Campus Box B119, 13001 E 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.affiliation: Worldways Social Marketing, 240 Thames St., Suite 200, Newport, RI 02840, USA.
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Marosits
authors.affiliation: Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Campus Box B119, 13001 E 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Dustin W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Campus Box B119, 13001 E 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lezotte
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D003120:Colorado; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012067:Religion; D040241:Social Marketing
keywords: Accident prevention; Accidental falls; Aged; Exercise; Injuries; Postural balance; Social marketing