Walk Your Way to HealthAnjana Padmanabhan

Reem Aljawini Brittany Allen

Lisa Meck

Campaign Goals & Target Audience

Increase walking among working mothers between the ages of 20 and 40 living in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area Working mothers are defined as women whose youngest child

is younger than 18 years and who work 35 hours or more per week

Health & Behavioral Objectives

Contribute to preventing Cardiovascular Disease in working mothers between the ages of 20 and 40 years old living in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Increase the number of steps taken per day to at least 10,000 steps.

Theory of Planned Behavior  

•Enhance positive beliefs about walking.

Personal Beliefs

• By enhancing positive beliefs, our target audience will form a positive attitude toward walking.

Attitude toward behavior

• N/A -Not targeting

Normative Beliefs

• N/A -Not targeting

Subjective Norm

• Control beliefs include factors that might impede or facilitate walking. • Enhance the facilitating factors in our messages

Control Beliefs

• A working mom must perceive that she has the ability to increase her walking behavior. • Point out opportunities, methods & places to increase walking.

Perceived Behavioral

Control

Intention

More walking

Communication Objectives Enhance positive attitudes about walking from X to X %

over two weeks. (Increase by 10%)

Enhance the belief that walking is convenient and beneficial to your health from X to X% over two weeks. (Increase by 10%)

Enhance walking facilitating factors from X to X%. (increase by 10%)

Instill the belief that walking more is achievable from X to X% over two weeks. (Increase by 10%)

Campaign Components Text4Steps Messaging program

Geared to educating working mothers on the benefits of walking and empowering and motivating them to incorporate healthy behaviors into their every day lives. The campaign will also work to help them make, keep track of, and achieve personal walking goals

FitBit A tool that will complement our text messaging program so that working mothers can track and log in

their daily steps and track their goals

Social Marketing/Media Use Facebook and Twitter to promote our campaign and get working mothers to sign up for

Text4Steps. Pitch media to write articles on campaign

POLs Identify and train POLs to promote and educate peers and colleagues about the campaign and

benefits of joining

Walking App Integrates FitBit, Text messaging campaign and social media together so users can map their

routes, track their steps, get more tips, and share their progress with friends and family.

Campaign Timeline

Text4Steps PilotTargeted four working mothers in Washington D.C.

area with young children who work more than 30 hours/week

Gave them a FitBit and sent them three text messages per day for two weeks Messages that introduced the campaign and it’s

purposeTips and fitness information Motivational messagesQuestions about their goals and progress Incentives for achieving their goals and rewards

Text4Steps Examples Intro

Hello! We're glad you've decided to improve your health by walking. We're here to challenge, encourage & reward you as you work towards your goals!

Health Information

Research shows that walking 10,000 steps a day improves health. Let's make this your daily goal over the next 2 weeks. Get ready for the challenge!

Instructions

You'll use your FitBit to track your steps each day. Also, you'll receive 3 texts per day. Std msg rates apply. To opt out, text STOP.

Motivation

It may be hard at first to walk 10,000 steps per day, but you can do it. We will give you great tips and support to make it worthwhile.

Fantastic! Click her for a coupon for $3 off your purchase at Sweet Green!

Tips

Busy day? That's ok. Try to take a few 2 minute breaks to stretch your legs. You’d be surprised how many extra steps that adds.

Tracking

Good afternoon! How many steps have you taken so far? Text A for 1 to 3,000 steps; B for 3,001 to 6,000 steps or C for more than 6000 steps.

Good morning! How do you feel about yesterday’s progress? Text BAD; OKAY or GREAT.

Text4Steps Pilot Feedback and Evaluation

75% of users were responsive to our bi-directional text messages

One reported that they did not like responding frequently and preferred messaging that would give tips and motivation and health information

All users enjoyed using the FitBit as a motivating factor for increasing their daily steps

Users reported experiencing syncing problems with their FitBit online when trying to log in their daily steps

Almost all of our users believed at the start of the campaign that walking 10,000 steps per day was a difficult challenge

All of the users reported increasing their steps daily after the inception of the program and responded to text messages positively

All users reported that they would recommend this program to others

Users already had positive attitudes and personal beliefs before starting the program

Strongest factors in improving daily steps taken are control beliefs and perceived behavioral control

Recommendations Send more bi directional text messages

Create a sustained program beyond two weeks

Continue the use of FitBit or another self-tracking device

Work with our technicians to improve and enhance FitBit tracking performance and syncing

If users have low personal beliefs initially, tailor messages to highlight health benefits

More motivational messages with tips and strategies that will help improve user’s low perceived behavioral control beliefs

More messages tailored to demonstrate the convenience of walking and providing more ideas (i.e. walking venues, routes) to integrating walking into their daily lives.

Questions?References U.S. Department of Labor. (2010). Annual social and economic supple ment, current population survey (Unpublished table: Employment status of women by presence and age of youngest child March 1975-2009). Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.