Health Education & behavior

1. Health Education & behavior Public Health Campaigns to Change Industry Practices That Damage Health: An Analysis of 12 Case Studies By N. Freudenberg, S.P. Bradley, & M. Serrano H571 Samantha Shivji

2. Background • There is growing evidence that the health of the public can be negatively impacted by some industry practices. • Advertising • Product design • Pricing • Strategic marketing • Public relations • Lobbying • Campaign contributions • This report investigated 12 campaigns (2 from each of the 6 target industries) intended to improve the health-related practices of various corporations in the United States.

3. Background Continued… • The 6 target industries • Alcohol • Automobiles • Firearms • Food & Beverages • Pharmaceuticals • Tobacco

4. Objectives of the Study • To examine the interactions between advocacy campaigns & their industry opponents • Explore the roles of government, researchers, & media • Identify characteristics of campaigns that are more or less effective in changing health-damaging practices

5. Methods • Unit of analysis= • “The individual health advocacy campaign” • To be included, a campaign had to meet these criteria: • Its efforts were aimed at a certain practice in one of the 6 industries mentioned previously • It was intended to improve/impact changes in corporate practices • It had well-defined objectives related to health

6. Rating Rubric • In order to say whether a campaign was more or less effective, the authors individually graded each one • 5-point scale based on these two criteria: • How successful they were at meeting their stated objectives • How well they were able to get constituencies mobilized • 1= fully successful & 5= not successful

8. Examples of Case Studies Used • Get Coke out of Seattle Schools (1996-2004) • A local movement to get parents and the school board in the Seattle area to cancel the schools’ agreement with the Coca-Cola Company that gave it “exclusive pouring rights”. • Contract with Coke was cancelled in 2003 • Citizens’ Campaign for Commercial Free Schools (the principal organization in the Seattle campaign) still strives to improve nutrition in schools & reduce the influence of companies that sell food and drinks

10. Another Example • 1994, the CPSI petitioned for the FDA to make it mandatory for food manufacturers to include the trans fat content of their products on their labels • Petition was based on scientific evidence that replacing trans fats with healthier oils may prevent 30,000 to 100,000 premature cardiovascular deaths in the US per year • Other groups have joined the Label or Ban Trans Fats campaign (1994-present) and continue to strive to achieve this goal throughout the country • The campaign has successfully won lawsuit settlements against McDonalds & Kraft Foods requiring them to reduce trans fats in their products • 2006, the FDA required all US food companies to include trans fat content on all food products

11. Findings

13. Successful Campaign Factors • Local • Advocacy strategies • Involving more constituencies • Innovative strategies • Social-political-economic context • Threat of litigation

14. Effective Strategies • Coalition building • Media advocacy • Public mobilization • Others include litigation, public protest, policy advocacy, & letter writing. • Average campaign used 4

15. THE THEORY OF TRIADIC INFLUENCE