CDC Health Communication, Marketing and Media Conference Presentation on Grow Your Kids with Fruits and Veggies Program

1. Receptiveness to Healthy Eating Messages of Low-Income Families Experiencing Food Crisis or at Risk for Food Insecurity Paul McConaughy, M.A. Michigan Nutrition Network, Michigan Fitness Foundation 2011 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media August 9, 2011

2. Session Objectives Describe the campaignGrow Your Kids With Fruits and Veggies Explain what was learned each year, with special attention to the 2010 Paper Plate Project

3. 2007 Pilot Campaign Question:Can A Campaign Be Successful Without Mass Media? Are there places where the audience can be reached directly? How will the message be delivered directly? When you think “promotion” you don’t have to think mass media.

4. 2007 Pilot Campaign Literature Review Formative focus groups Develop plan/produce materials Pilot plan – test materials Post pilot focus groups Post pilot survey of providers

6. 2008Planning & Material Revision

7. 2009 Campaign Question Are campaign processes effective?

8. 2009 Summer Campaign Educators presented materials and taste testing at summer program venues. Educators were engaged by providing funding for supplies for taste testing and mileage to and from events. Evaluation was done by Michigan State University Health & Risk Communication Center.1 1Grow Your Kids Program Evaluation Report. 2009. Kami J. Silk, Samantha Nazione, & Kristin Pace

9. 2009 Recommendations Training should be provided to educators to provide more fidelity of information distribution More incentives for kids to make learning more of a family activity Physical activity messages need to be more memorable Campaign should be modified for implementation with targeted cultures

10. 2010 Food Bank Campaign Questions Will the materials stand alone? Can a food portion plate make an impression on a target audience during a time of food crisis? Will a mail back survey be successful under campaign conditions?

12. Price: Time to go through bag, effort to complete and mail survey

13. Place: Food banks and other sites serving SNAP recipients

14. Promotion: 60,000 shopping bags with kitchen items for fruit/vegetable preparation, recipes to prepare fruits/vegetables, tips/activities to motivate children to eat fruits/vegetables,jump rope)10,000 shopping bags ALSO included paper plates illustrated with food groupsand healthy portions

15. WMU HSIRB Project 10-09-22

16. Evaluation: Postage-Paid Survey Card WMU HSIRB Project 10-09-22

17. Survey Respondents (n=1801) n=1370

18. 2010 Campaign Questions & Findings Use items in bag? Will items help you eat more fruit/veggies? Eating more fruit/veggies w/wo plates? Easy to get to place selling fruit/veggies? Fruit/veggies are affordable?

19. Do you expect to use items in the bag?

20. Will GYK items help family eat more fruits and vegetables? n=1370

21. Will items help family eat more fruits/vegetables? (with/without paper plates) n=350

22. Is it easy to get to a place that sells fruits and vegetables?

23. Are fruits and vegetables affordable?

24. 2010 Recommendations Continue GYK Campaign through SNAP programming and outreach sites (Assuming positive outcome on follow-up campaign.). Continue use of GYK Bag (Explore cost effectiveness of a more permanent plate.). Continue to use incentivized mail back short survey for evaluation. Explore ways to address concerns around the purchase of fresh fruit and veggies.

25. 2011 Plans People who agreed, on the survey card, will be contacted to assess fruit and veggie consumption behavior change. SNAP program site promotion with refrigerator thermometers and door hanger to increase knowledge of selecting and storing fruits/veggies. Harvest of the Month school-based campaign built on California’s work to explore effectiveness of targeting campaign through both kids and moms. Gear up for next Bag Campaign in 2012.

26. For More Information www.michigannutritionnetwork.org Or contact pmcconaughy@michiganfitness.org This material was partially funded by the State of Michigan with federal funds from the United States Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by way of the Michigan Nutrition Network at the Michigan Fitness Foundation. These institutions are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. People who need help buying nutritious food for a better diet call the Michigan Food Assistance Program Hotline: (800) 481-4989.