Dr K Vijaya Director Corporate Marketing & Communication Division

1. How Media And New Communication Technology Can Be Used To Enhance Health Literacy Among Children At School Age Dr K Vijaya Director Corporate Marketing & Communication Division Health Promotion Board, Singapore

2. Health Literacy The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

3. Importance of Health Literacy Improving health literacy is one of the goals and objectives set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Healthy People 2010.

4. Application of Health Literacy • Health promotion • Health protection • Disease prevention & screening • Care & maintenance • Access to care & navigation of system

5. Benefits of Health Literacy Improving the health literacy of school-going children will empower them to: • Make the right decisions in their adult age • Reduce their chances of contracting diseases • Reduce the need for hospitalisation

6. Promoting Health Literacy in Schools • Schools play a critical role in building health literacy • Classroom environment is conducive for dissemination of knowledge

7. Advantages Accurate information provided in a captive setting Students can be assessed on their knowledge Disadvantages Didactic instructions no longer favored by Generation ‘Y’ What is taught in schools (theory) may not be applied in practice Promoting Health Literacy in Schools

8. Youth exposed to mass media, Internet, mobile technology Youth influenced by peers, celebrities and media Consistency of messages taught in schools and media Influence of Media onHealth Literacy

9. International examples: Weaved into popular US TV shows Story of patient suffering from HIV in “ER” HIV-prevention storyline in “Bold & The Beautiful” Promoting Health LiteracyThrough Media

10. International examples: Use of media to educate Canadian youth on health risks of tobacco Interactive microsite in Australia to teach youth how to react to different situations US website for youth on sexuality, relationships etc Promoting Health LiteracyThrough Media

11. The Singapore Experience

12. Literacy rate : 95.4% Compulsory education for 6 years at Primary level Health education part of core curriculum in schools Universities and schools require students to submit projects and homework online Opportunities for Raising Health Literacy

13. 74% of households in public housing and 92% in private housing have at least one computer 88% of households with school-going children have at least one computer Computer usage : 10-14 yrs : 85% 15-59 yrs : 68% Penetration of Internet Among Singapore School Children

14. Internet Activities in Singapore Source : 2006 Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage by IDA

15. Singapore’s Mobile Penetration • Penetration rate is 106.8% • Some own more than one mobile phone.

16. Traditional & New Communication Technology • Utilised to enhance health literacy among Singapore school-going children

17. Outdoor Marketing Radio Press Outreach Events Health Resources TV Internet Health Exhibition Center eDMs Mobile Health Information Center Multi-Channel Marketing Reach out to Singaporeans

18. Traditional Media Target Groups and Channels Used

19. CHIPP

20. CHIPP TVC

21. HFMD

22. HFMD TVC

23. Myopia

24. Myopia TVC

25. LIME Sonic Bang

26. Smoking – Young Women

27. STOMP AIDS Challenge http://stompaids.yah.sg/

28. New Media

29. HPB Online http://www.hpb.gov.sg/

30. NutriLine podcast Over 40,000 hits since launch (Sep 2006). Health Podcasts http://www.hpb.gov.sg/podcasts/

31. Youth Health Blog

32. Audible Hearts Online Counselling http://audiblehearts.yah.sg/

33. Free software Comprehensive food database, including Singaporean/Asian dishes Stores user’s data for 7 days Mobile Diet Tracker http://www.hpb.gov.sg/diettracker/

34. Mobile Ecards Over 1,100 eCards were sent on Valentine’s Day http://www.hpb.gov.sg/web/healthmessage/

35. HealthZone TeenStar

36. Healthy Lifestyle @ Teen Central

37. Most popular tool on HPB’s website Used by Nutrition students in Singapore Covers more than 6000 foods eaten in Singapore Food Info Search http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=1016

38. Bone Almighty http://teencentral.gov.sg/osteo/

39. HIC Online http://hic.hpb.gov.sg/

40. HealthZone http://www.hpb.gov.sg/healthzone/

41. Key Findings from Usability Survey • 50% of respondents have used the Internet for over 5 years • Males and females spend the same amount of time on the Internet • 80% access the Internet from home and 18% from School • The older the students, the longer they spent on the Internet

42. Key Findings from Usability Survey • Top four most popular online activities are: • Chat • Watching Videos (e.g. YouTube) • Browsing For School Activities • Gaming

43. Impact of Media & New Media Technology on Health Literacy Measured through : • Surveys • Focus groups • Pageviews, visits, hits to website

44. Our Achievements Source : National Health Survey (NHS) 1998 & 2004 *National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 1998 & 2004 Age Group: 18 – 29 yrs

45. Our Achievements

46. In Summary… • Traditional and new media can be used both directly and subtly to influence school children's behaviour and cognitive thinking on health issues. • Important stage in their lives, when they are formulating their own identities and are still receptive to learning healthy lifestyle practices.

47. In Summary… • Media and new communication technologies can be used to complement existing health education strategies implemented in schools.

48. In Summary… • Repeated reinforcement of health messages through different channels can increase the rate of recall and awareness among school-going children, and be more likely to put into practice what they have learnt.

49. Acknowledgement • Mrs Sarojini Thanarajah • Ms Vanessa Tan

50. Thank You