What makes some campaigns more effective than others?: An analysis of three mass media PSI HIV/AIDS campaigns in Kenya.

This study included interviews with campaign planners at a major social marketing organization in Kenya and an examination of three comprehensive HIV/AIDS health campaigns produced by the planners. Thematic and qualitative content analysis of these data addressed three research questions: (1) To what extent did the campaign creators consider health behavior change models, socio-cultural, and group identity concerns of their target audiences when designing the health campaigns? (2) To what extent did the campaigns reflect the major principles of campaign design? And (3) to what extent did the themes in the campaigns reflect the socio-cultural and group identity concerns of the target audiences? Results indicated that the planners did not formally consider theory or socio-cultural and group identity concerns that are important in collectivist African societies like Kenya. The campaigns fit the planners' goals of avoiding fear appeals, considering barriers and benefits to behavior change, providing a sense of self-efficacy, and appealing to subjective norms. Several principles of effective campaign design were also identified. However, thematic analysis of the campaigns revealed the presence of cultural beliefs/practices (e.g., gender norms) that can be barriers to behavior change. These results suggest that the campaigns would have benefited from formal attention to structural and cultural factors that may have served as barriers to adoption of the targeted behavior. Accordingly, the discussion focuses on a polymorphic approach to health behavior change theory that would ensure full consideration of these factors. An ecological approach to campaign analysis is outlined as a model for future research on health communication campaigns

Promoting Healthy Behavior from the Pulpit: Clergy Share Their Perspectives on Effective Health Communication in the African American Church

African Americans continue to suffer disproportionately from health disparities when compared to other ethnicities (ACS 2010; CDC 2007). Research indicates that the church and the pastor in the African American community could be enlisted to increase effectiveness of health programs (Campbell et al. in Health Edu Behav 34(6):864–880, 2007; DeHaven et al. in Am J Public Health 94(6):1030–1036, 2004). The objective of this study was to investigate African American pastors’ perceptions about health promotion in the church and how these perceptions could serve as a guide for improving health communication targeting African Americans. Semi-structured interviews with African American clergy revealed that pastors feel strongly about the intersection of health, religion and spirituality; they also believe that discussing health screening and other health issues more frequently from the pulpit and their own personal experiences will ultimately impact health behavior among congregants. This study suggests that African American clergy see themselves as health promoters in the church and believe this communication (i.e., pastor-endorsed health information materials) will impact health behavior among underserved and minority populations

''Positive Examples'': A Bottom-Up Approach to Identifying Best Practices in HIV Care and Treatment Based on the Experiences of Peer Educators

Abstract Literature describing the roles and activities of peers working in HIV care is limited. Evaluations of the impact of peer-based behavior-change interventions reveal mixed results, due in part to varied program aims, structure, evaluation mechanisms, and training. Peers themselves are important resources to address these concerns and lay the groundwork for developing improved programs and evaluation strategies. This qualitative article describes peer support in HIV care and treatment from the perspective of 23 HIV-positive peers across the United States. Peers reported that peer characteristics (HIV-status, common experiences, and self-care) enable them to engage clients. Peers also required flexibility to respond to client needs, and their activities spanned four types of social support: informational, emotional, instrumental, and affiliational. We recommend peer programs and evaluations accommodate the broad scope of peer work by acknowledging the need for flexibility and activities that are not always directly related to clients' HIV care and treatment