Table 1.
Social marketing programs used to influence children’s nutrition and lifestyle
| Category | Program | Channels | Behaviors targeted | Audience | Behavioral outcome measures | Target and scale of program | Stakeholders | Initiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | Team Nutrition20,36 | Schools (lessons, displays, tastings). Parent newsletter and events. Media coverage | Dietary choices (variety and quality) | Children and parents | Process measures (eg, no. of hours); qualitative interviews; questionnaires; teacher and food service observations; observations of children’s food choices and behaviors | 7 school districts in different US states | Government (US Department of Agriculture) | Public |
| Pro Children27 | Schools (classroom activities, F&V availability); parent activities; web tool (F&V advice); local media | F&V intake | Children and parents | 24-h dietary recalls; FFQs | Schools in 3 European countries (Norway, the Netherlands, Spain) | Government (European Commission), academic institutions | Public | |
| Fuel Up to Play 6021 | Schools (provision of educational activities, access to nutritious foods, and sports equipment) | Physical activity, nutritional choices | Children and parents | School decides how to track behaviors. Suggestions include the use of surveys; informal feedback from teachers or parents; and tracking the following: no. of children participating, meal purchases, and student behavior. Some studies have explored longitudinal effects on diet, physical activity, and fitness21,39 | Nationwide in the USA | Private organizations (National Football League; National Dairy Council) | Private | |
| Community | Bike, Walk, and Wheel22,37 | Mass media, posters, promotions | Use of active transport | Community | Observations of pedestrians and cyclists | One US city (Columbia, MO) | Nonprofit organizations (PedNet Coalition; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), local government | NGO |
| Community plus online component | EPODE28 | Messaging disseminated through communities; environmental changes in schools and public spaces; events in schools and in the broader community (eg, stores, parks) | Nutritional choices, physical activity | Children | Anthropometry; process measures and output measures (no. of events, materials developed) | Mostly higher-SES countries | Government, NGOs, private partners | Public–private |
| 5-4-3-2-1 Go!19 | Mass media, events, student ambassadors, website | Nutritional choices, physical activity | Community | Home observations; interviews; assessment of reach and awareness | One US city (Chicago, IL) | Consortium of local organizations (CLOCC) | Public | |
| Change4Life26 | Digital technology, school interventions, social media | Nutritional choices, physical activity | Children and parents | Parent interviews; assessment of claimed behavior adoption; basket analysis of shopping behavior; tracking of national obesity trends | Nationwide in the UK | National government (National Health Service) | Public | |
| InFANT Extend30 | Group lessons for parents, Facebook group, newsletters delivered by email | F&V intake, decreased intake of SSBs and energy-dense foods, more physical activity, less screen time | Parents | Anthropometry; FFQs; accelerometers; questionnaires | One Australian metro area (Melbourne, Victoria) | NGO-funded organizations (World Cancer Research Fund), academic partners | Public | |
| Online only | Food Hero23,38 | Social media, website (recipe focused), community kit for nutrition educators | Nutritional choices | Parents | Assessment of no. of active users, clicks on posts, and virality of posts | One US state (Oregon) | Academic institution (Oregon State University) | Public? |
| Social movement | UNICEF Kid Power24 | Activity monitor for children in the USA. School program exists, but children can participate independently, tooWith increased activity, corporate sponsors donate meals for malnourished children in developing countries | Physical activity | Children | Assessment of no. of children enrolled in school programs, no. of meals distributed to those in need | Nationwide in the USA | NGOs (UNICEF, Force for Change), industry partner (Target Corporation) | NGO |
Abbreviations: CLOCC, Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children; EPODE, Ensemble Prévenons l’Obésité des Enfants; F&V, fruits and vegetables; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire; NGO, nongovernmental organizations; SSB, sugar-sweetened beverage; UNICEF, United Nations Children’s Fund.