Evaluation of a social marketing campaign targeting preschool children
Susan L Johnson1, Laura Bellows, Leslie Beckstrom
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA. susan.johnson@uchsc.edu
Objectives:
To determine the effectiveness of a pilot social marketing program to increase preschoolers' willingness to try new foods.
Methods:
Four Head Start centers participated (2 experimental, 2 control) in a study using a quasi-experimental design. Experimental sites received a 12-week intervention developed using social marketing techniques. The program was evaluated via preference assessments, classroom observations, and teacher surveys.
Results:
Increased preference for and willingness to try new foods were observed in children from the experimental sites (P<0.05). The program was positively received by Head Start staff.
Conclusions:
A social marketing campaign is an effective method to reduce children's neophobia.
