Applying Social Marketing to Healthcare

Author(s):  
Maria do Rosário Cabrita ◽  
Miriam Cabrita

There is now an emerging view of health care as a sector of the economy. The subject is increasingly gaining the interest of policy makers and health care industry researchers as a way of modifying the incidence and impact of unhealthy behavior and disease. Health-related social marketing is the systematic application of commercial marketing principles to achieve behavioral goals relevant to improving health and reducing health inequalities. Whilst commercial marketing seeks to influence behavior for profit, social marketing encourages behaviors that provide well being for individuals or for society as a whole. Several studies set out the importance of using a social marketing approach to encourage positive health behavior. There are therefore a number of challenges and opportunities for social marketing to be used to change health care consumer behavior. Social marketing has been used to persuade a specific audience, mainly through mass media, to adopt an idea, a practice, a product, or all three. To develop social marketing programs, marketers must know about the problem to be addressed, understand the audience to be targeted, and interpret the environment in which the program will be applied. The premise is that all program planning decisions must emanate from a consideration of the consumers’ wants, demands, and needs. The aim of this chapter is to examine ways in which social marketing can help to promote health care attitudes. Exploring key concepts, the study focuses on the application of social marketing theory and principles to healthcare. Using a social marketing approach, it was examines the program UpForIt, which aims to influence students aged 16-24 years old to increase their levels of physical activity and adopt healthy eating behaviors. By examining strategies implemented, it identifies that young adults are willing to voluntarily change their lifestyle behaviors, given the appropriate target audience.

Author(s):  
Maria do Rosário Cabrita ◽  
Miriam Cabrita

There is now an emerging view of health care as a sector of the economy. The subject is increasingly gaining the interest of policy makers and health care industry researchers as a way of modifying the incidence and impact of unhealthy behavior and disease. Health-related social marketing is the systematic application of commercial marketing principles to achieve behavioral goals relevant to improving health and reducing health inequalities. Whilst commercial marketing seeks to influence behavior for profit, social marketing encourages behaviors that provide well being for individuals or for society as a whole. Several studies set out the importance of using a social marketing approach to encourage positive health behavior. There are therefore a number of challenges and opportunities for social marketing to be used to change health care consumer behavior. Social marketing has been used to persuade a specific audience, mainly through mass media, to adopt an idea, a practice, a product, or all three. To develop social marketing programs, marketers must know about the problem to be addressed, understand the audience to be targeted, and interpret the environment in which the program will be applied. The premise is that all program planning decisions must emanate from a consideration of the consumers' wants, demands, and needs. The aim of this chapter is to examine ways in which social marketing can help to promote health care attitudes. Exploring key concepts, the study focuses on the application of social marketing theory and principles to healthcare. Using a social marketing approach, it was examines the program UpForIt, which aims to influence students aged 16-24 years old to increase their levels of physical activity and adopt healthy eating behaviors. By examining strategies implemented, it identifies that young adults are willing to voluntarily change their lifestyle behaviors, given the appropriate target audience.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
Raechel Johns

Purpose While social marketing (SM) literature has increasingly incorporated service literature into the field, social marketers have paid limited attention to transformative service research (TSR). Similarly, transformative service researchers have neglected to incorporate the more traditional body of literature – SM – into their research. This paper aims to provide an extensive literature review and comparison of the bodies of literature, cautioning researchers to consider both fields of research or risk their work not being as relevant as research incorporating both literature bodies. Social value co-creation is considered as a middle-ground between the two bodies of literature. Design/methodology/approach This paper expands on the conceptual discussion of TSR and the more advanced empirical academic literature on SM. Framed within a context of anti-smoking, this paper explores the differences between SM and TSR, within the service ecosystem. Findings This paper highlights three key differences between SM and TSR. Firstly, SM focuses on changes only within a not-for-profit context, while TSR focuses on changes which may be related to both not-for-profit and for-profit objectives. Secondly, SM broadly appears to take a behavioural change from implementation perspective, with an upstream approach; while in contrast, TSR focuses more on interaction for consumer and employee well-being. Finally, when considering the service ecosystem, SM and TSR both operate at all three levels (micro, meso and macro) but may focus on different levels, depending on the initiative. Originality/value With the emergence of TSR, further understanding of this body of literature is necessary; otherwise, social marketers may risk their research losing ground to other bodies of literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-543
Author(s):  
Donald R McCreary ◽  
John L Oliffe ◽  
Nick Black ◽  
Ryan Flannigan ◽  
Joe Rachert ◽  
...  

AbstractMen are at high risk for both morbidity and premature mortality from several of the most common serious diseases. Although numerous factors have been identified to explain men’s risk, this study focused on the relationship between lifestyle behaviors, health-related self-stigma and masculine role norms. An age and location stratified sample of 2000 Canadian men completed measures assessing five lifestyle behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, sleep, diet and exercise), a screen for depression, and measures of self-stigma and masculine role norms. The results showed that elements of both health-related self-stigma and masculine role norms were associated with increased risk for being above the clinical threshold for four of the lifestyle behaviors and depression. The most frequent and largest relationships were associated with exercise and depression. The total number of lifestyle behaviors for which participants were above the clinical cut-points was also associated with self-stigma and masculine role norms. These findings demonstrate the importance of health-related self-stigma and masculine role norms as potential barriers to men’s health and well-being.


Author(s):  
I. E. van Beukering ◽  
S. J. C. Smits ◽  
K. M. E. Janssens ◽  
R. I. Bogaers ◽  
M. C. W. Joosen ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Studies are increasingly showing that health related stigma is a barrier to employment, but it is not known how. The aim of this systematic review is to identify, appraise and analyse studies that have directly or indirectly addressed ways in which stigma affects sustainable employment and well-being at work of people with disabilities. Methods Using a multiphase screening process, this review is based on a comprehensive literature search (2000–2019) carried out in six electronic databases: Embase, Web of Science, Medline Ovid, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Results 7.263 publications were identified; 96 studies were found eligible to be included in the review. 72% of the studies were conducted in North America or Europe. Few studies directly assessed how stigma affects the employment of people with disabilities. Most studies highlighted that attitudes and behaviour of employers formed a barrier to employment, as well as anticipated stigma and self-stigma in people with health problems. However, the findings also showed that the attitudes and behaviour of co-workers, health care professionals, reintegration professionals, customers, and family and friends could act as a barrier to employment although these influences are under-researched. Although many similarities were seen in the relevant findings of studies about both physical and mental disabilities, several nuances were found. Conclusion Stigma hampers sustainable employment and well-being in multiple ways. Whereas the number of publications on this topic is rapidly increasing, the roles of health care professionals, reintegration professionals, co-workers, customers, and family and friends particularly warrant more attention.


Author(s):  
Dennis Myers ◽  
Terry A. Wolfer ◽  
Maria L. Hogan

A complex web of attitudinal, cultural, economic, and structural variables condition the decision to respond to communications promoting healthy behavior and participation in risk reduction initiatives. A wide array of governmental, corporate, and voluntary sector health-related organizations focus on effective messaging and health care options, increasing the likelihood of choices that generate and sustain wellness. Researchers also recognize the significant and multifaceted ways that religious congregations contribute to awareness and adoption of health-promoting behaviors. These religiously based organizations are credible disseminators of health education information and accessible providers of venues that facilitate wellness among congregants and community members. The religious beliefs, spirituality, and faith practices at the core of congregational cultural life explain the trustworthiness of their messaging, the health of their adherents, and the intention of their care provision. Considerable inquiry into the impact of religion and spirituality on health reveals substantive correlations with positive psychological factors known to sustain physical and psychological health—optimism, meaning and purpose, hope, well-being, self-esteem, gratefulness, social support, and marital stability. However, the beliefs and practices that create receptivity to health-related communications, care practices, and service provision can also be a deterrent to message impact and participation in healthy behaviors. When a productive relationship between spirituality and health exists, congregational membership offers rituals (e.g., worship, education, mission) and relationships that promote spiritual well-being. Research demonstrates increased life satisfaction and meaning in life, with health risk reduction associated with a sense of belonging, enriched social interactions, and shared experiences. Congregations communicate their commitment to wellness of congregants and community members alike through offering a variety of congregationally based and collaborative wellness and risk reduction programs. These expressions of investment in individual and community health range across all age, gender, and ethnic demographics and address most of the prominent diagnostic categories. These programs are ordered along three dimensions: primary prevention (health care messaging and education), secondary prevention (risk education), and tertiary prevention (treatment). Applying the dimensions of sponsorship, goal/mission, focus, services, staffing, and intended outcome highlights the similarities and differences among them. Several unique facets of congregational life energize the effectiveness of these programs. Inherent trust and credibility empower adherence, and participation decisions and financial investment provide service availability. These assets serve as attractive contributions in collaborations among congregations and between private and public health care providers. Current research has not yet documented the best practices associated with program viability. However, practice wisdom in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of congregationally based and collaborative health-related programs suggests guidelines for future investigation. Congregational leaders and health care professionals emphasize well-designed needs assessment. Effective congregational health promotion and risk reduction may be linked to the availability and expertise of professionals and volunteers enacting the roles of planner/program developer, facilitator, convener/mediator, care manager/advocate, health educator, and direct health care service provider.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 205920432199770
Author(s):  
Kat R. Agres ◽  
Rebecca S. Schaefer ◽  
Anja Volk ◽  
Susan van Hooren ◽  
Andre Holzapfel ◽  
...  

The fields of music, health, and technology have seen significant interactions in recent years in developing music technology for health care and well-being. In an effort to strengthen the collaboration between the involved disciplines, the workshop “Music, Computing, and Health” was held to discuss best practices and state-of-the-art at the intersection of these areas with researchers from music psychology and neuroscience, music therapy, music information retrieval, music technology, medical technology (medtech), and robotics. Following the discussions at the workshop, this article provides an overview of the different methods of the involved disciplines and their potential contributions to developing music technology for health and well-being. Furthermore, the article summarizes the state of the art in music technology that can be applied in various health scenarios and provides a perspective on challenges and opportunities for developing music technology that (1) supports person-centered care and evidence-based treatments, and (2) contributes to developing standardized, large-scale research on music-based interventions in an interdisciplinary manner. The article provides a resource for those seeking to engage in interdisciplinary research using music-based computational methods to develop technology for health care, and aims to inspire future research directions by evaluating the state of the art with respect to the challenges facing each field.


2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bev O'Connell ◽  
Susan Bailey ◽  
Arlene Walker

Research has indicated that carers are concerned about their ageing status, their deteriorating health and their abilityto continue to care for their dependants. Given that the health care system will become increasingly reliant on carersthe health care needs of carers should be a concern for all health care professionals. This paper describes the first stageof a project designed to enhance older carers health promotion knowledge and skills and improve their healthpromoting behaviors. This stage investigated the mental and physical health status of older carers. It also soughtinformation on older carers' levels of participation in health related and social activities and identification of barriersto participation in these types of activities. The results highlighted that carers responding to the survey experiencedcompromised physical and mental health. Many carers reported being unable to participate in social and health-typeactivities as they were unable to leave the care recipient. Of note, is that carers identified their own mental fragilityand felt they needed further emotional support.


Author(s):  
Chloé Poitevin DesRivières

Urban food systems primarily rely on foods grown in rural spaces, and often face challenges in creating spaces to grow fresh, healthful and affordable food in cities. Urban food harvest organizations aim to overcome these challenges by locating and harvesting food that already exists in cities on the numerous fruit- and nut-bearing trees located on public and private lands. Hidden Harvest is a leading initiative for urban fruit and nut harvesting in Canada, and unique in its for-profit social enterprise model. The organization aims to legitimize and support the practice of harvesting fruits and nuts in urban areas, and provides a means to increase access to—and availability of—fresh, healthful foods hyper-locally in Ottawa, as people harvest from their own (or nearby) neighborhoods. This field report examines the challenges and opportunities faced by Hidden Harvest in attempting to link multiple social, environmental and economic goals relating to food sovereignty, social justice and ecological sustainability. In particular, the organization seeks to establish a self-sustaining business model through innovative solutions and the development of networks with local food processes, food organizations and businesses, which enables Hidden Harvest to grow and develop distinct ties and relationships in Ottawa. This case study reveals how organizations such as Hidden Harvest use food to enhance and tie together local economies, knowledge, food security and community well-being.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kat Rose Agres ◽  
Rebecca Schaefer ◽  
Anja Volk ◽  
Susan van Hooren ◽  
André Holzapfel ◽  
...  

The fields of music, health, and technology have seen significant interactions in recent years in developing music technology for health care and well-being. In an effort to strengthen the collaboration between the involved disciplines, the workshop ‘Music, Computing, and Health’ was held to discuss best practices and state-of-the-art at the intersection of these areas with researchers from music psychology and neuroscience, music therapy, music information retrieval, music technology, medical technology (medtech) and robotics. Following the discussions at the workshop, this paper provides an overview of the different methods of the involved disciplines and their potential contributions to developing music technology for health and well-being. Furthermore, the paper summarizes the state of the art in music technology that can be applied in various health scenarios and provides a perspective on challenges and opportunities for developing music technology that 1) supports person-centered care and evidence-based treatments, and 2) contributes to developing standardized, large-scale research on music-based interventions in an interdisciplinary manner. The paper provides a resource for those seeking toengage in interdisciplinary research using music-based computational methods to develop technology for health care, and aims to inspire future research directions by evaluating the state of the art with respect to the challenges facing each field.


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