general outreach public health campaign · boat people sos (bpsos) reaching out to the vietnamese...

10Community Events Attended

OutreachEvents & Materials for 2011-2012

MaterialsDistributionfor 2011

FCEC’s Community Outreach Team: Providing Culturally Relevant Education

Chinese Outreach (HCC)

7,779 +

The Chinese and Vietnamese communities have friends in FCEC’s Community Outreach Team. With Herald Community Center (HCC) reaching out to the Chinese Community and Boat People SOS (BPSOS) reaching out to the Vietnamese Community, our team educates communities in-language about the dangers of eating contaminated �sh. You are bound to see members of HCC and BPSOS at community events throughout the year, working hard to protect the public.

Vietnamese Outreach (BPSOS)

1,942

1,219

526

1,600

Tet festival

Annual LunarNew Year Festival

South East Asian Day

17th Love Changes Everything Charity Event

2011 HarvestMoon Festival1,010

General Outreach

163

207

38

274

800

Seal Beach YouthFishing Derby

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium - Earth Day

MSRP Public Meeting

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium - Autumn Sea Fair

Aquarium of the Pacific - Earth Day

Community MembersReached

CONTAMINATED AREA

CONTAMINATED AREA

CONTAMINATED SEAFOOD CONSUMPTIONPUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN

A CASE STUDY DONE BY S. GRONER ASSOCIATES FOR THE UNITED STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

CONTAMINATED AREA

CONTAMINATED AREA

CONTAMINATED AREA

THE CHALLENGEThe Fish Contamination Education Collaborative (FCEC), the public outreach and education component of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, needed a public health campaign, specifically a behavioral change campaign, to prevent and reduce the consumption of fish contaminated with toxic chemicals that could increase the likelihood of cancer.

From the 1940s to the 1970s, millions of pounds of harmful chemicals, such as DDTs and PCBs, were discharged from industrial sources through wastewater outfalls into the ocean at White Point, near Los Angeles. The contaminants dispersed throughout Southern California’s marine environment with the highest chemical concentrations in sediment and fish occuring on the Palos Verdes Shelf. The discharge of these chemicals ceased more than 40 years ago, but residents could still feel their impact today.

CONTAMINATED AREA






7,779 +



1,942

1,219

526

1,600

Tet festival





General Outreach

163

207

38

274

800



MSRP Public Meeting




The potential effects of the contamination on human health were as profound as they were widespread. The list of harmful health effects of consuming highly contaminated fish included but was not limited to:

• Mutational prenatal development • Liver disease • Reproductive system problems • Cancer

THE SOLUTION

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES:• CONDUCT a statistically

valid survey of recreational anglers that fish in the region to determine the fish species that were being caught and consumed at the highest rates

• GATHER quantitative data that could be used to characterize exposures of the general fishing population to DDT and PCBs from consumption of fish and shellfish caught in the region

• IDENTIFY AND EDUCATE demographic and ethnic subgroups within the general fishing population of the region that may be consuming large quantities of contaminants through selection, quantity, and/or cooking method of fish species

Chinese and Vietnamese women of child-bearing age

Because there were two different target audiences, SGA set up two distinct public health campaigns: 1 ) One focused on health & community issues directed towards Asian women (the Fish Contamination Education program)

2) The other focused on fishing activity, specifically Hispanic male anglers, the Los Anglers program.

SGA created a public health campaign to increase awareness about the contaminated fish and change the consumption habits to reduce the ingestion of harmful chemicals. Changes in fishing patterns, consumption and cooking methods could result in reduced health risks to residents.

Since this public health campaign was focused on curbing behaviors, SGA utilized Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM), an approach that aimed to not only raise awareness, but also change behaviors. We followed CBSM’s step-wise process by first conducting formative research to identify the target audiences, their behaviors and the barriers and motivators associated with the audiences’ behaviors. The research consisted of conducting an initial baseline survey, an intervention and a follow-up a month later to determine the effectiveness of the intervention.

From this research, SGA gained a better understanding of the demographic composition of the target audiences within

the region, their consumption rates of locally caught fish, types of fish eaten, the portion size consumed, preferred cooking methods, and awareness and knowledge of health advisories.

SGA coordinated a range of community involvement efforts to engage various stakeholders and provide input for the EPA to address the targeted area over short- and long-term periods. In managing this process, SGA worked with federal, state and local agencies, environmental organizations and community groups. In addition, SGA worked closely with a community resource council made up of individual community members with an interest in the project and/or representing local communities specifically affected by the site. Through stakeholder workshops and community strategic planning meetings, SGA developed a road map document for the EPA out of the input received from the stakeholders that developed consensus on the project’s long-term goals, objectives and specific priorities for the project.

CAMPAIGN TARGET AUDIENCES:

Hispanic Males

BOTH PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGNS WERE TAILORED TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS AND MOTIVATORS

INFLUENCING THE TARGET POPULATIONS

MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL MARKETING (CBSM)

To influence behavior, we need to influence behavioral motivation and behavioral ease. Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) is a research-based method that focuses on removing barriers and encouraging motivators in the community to achieve positive behavior change.

The CBSM approach allows for a targeted focus on a specific behavior, which in turn increases the likelihood that the target audience will adopt the promoted behavior. When a community has a clear idea where the problem comes from, how it can affect them and what they can do to prevent the problem, it will be more willing to support and participate in program implementation.

CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT BASED

ON COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL MARKETING

01

02

03 04

05

06Select Target

Behavior & Audience

Identify Barriers & Benefits

Develop Strategy

Determine How To Evaluate

Impact

Pilot & Evaluate Strategy

Refine Strategy OR Launch &

Expand Program

EXAMPLES OF THE FISH CONTAMINATION EDUCATION PROGRAM MATERIALS

1

2

3

For more information, visit www.pvsfish.org. Printed on recycled paperApril 2013

What can you do ?

Keep all . invoices.

Report illegal or suspicious vendors by

calling the numbers below:

Buy fish from approved sources, including licensed wholesalers,

distributors & commercial fishermen.

Locally caught WHITE CROAKER fish (also known as kingfish or tomcod) may contain high levels of DDTs and PCBs and can lead to serious health problems if consumed.

Los Angeles County (213) 738-3220 Orange County (714) 433-6000

White croaker caught around the Palos Verdes Shelf in Southern California are contaminated

with toxins, such as DDTs and PCBs.

Why is it dangerous to eat contaminated white croaker?

cancer

liver disease

Eating contaminated white croaker poses potential harm by building up

high levels of PCBs and DDTs in our bodies. This may lead to greater health risks.

City of Long Beach (562) 570-4494

Caltip hotline (888) DFG-CALTIP

Children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age are especially sensitive to the effects of contaminated white croaker.

Health effects of DDTs and PCBs:

growth & development problems

weakened immune system

A Guide for Markets and RestaurantsJoin With Other Businesses To

PROTECT YOUR CUSTOMERSFrom Contaminated White Croaker






7,779 +



1,942

1,219

526

1,600

Tet festival





General Outreach

163

207

38

274

800



MSRP Public Meeting




RESULTS: FISH CONTAMINATION EDUCATION PROGRAMFor the Fish Contamination Education program, SGA discovered that Asian community members tend to eat the whole fish, especially the fatty, highly contaminated parts. To surmount this culturally-driven practice—and encourage the target behavior of fish fillet consumption—we distributed culturally relevant fish fillet samples and recipes featuring recommended preparation methods during classroom-style educational workshops delivered in groups and in conjunction with existing community classes, such as English as a Second Language and citizenship classes. Through all these methods, FCEC reached approximately 700 community members a year.

SGA didn’t set out to change their way of life, only their way of thinking. By doing that, the community quickly adopted the message and became their own champions of the dangers of eating contaminated fish.

[ RESULTS BY THE NUMBERS ]After the public health campaign, the number of community members who reported eating contaminated fish dropped from 10% to 0% in the Chinese community, and from 39% to 3% in the Vietnamese community.

When it came to abandoning certain risky fish preparation behaviors, the Chinese community reported a decrease by 26%, while the Vietnamese community showed a decrease by 19%.

More importantly, in the Vietnamese Community, there was a 64% increase in the number of people who reported eating one or more fish meals a week, and a 51% increase in the number of people who reported eating the skinless fillet of the fish.

26%DECREASE IN CHINESE COMMUNITY

19%DECREASE IN VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY

10%

20%

30%

BEFORECAMPAIGN

AFTERCAMPAIGN

40%39%

10%

3%

0% VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY CHINESE COMMUNITY

64%INCREASE IN

EATING 1+ FISH MEALS/WEEK

51%INCREASE IN

EATING SKINLESS FISH FILLETS

The development of the Los Anglers program was also critical to the campaign’s success. Past remediation efforts in the region conducted by the EPA included a controversial closure of a commercial fishing sector. After this incident, research showed that Hispanic anglers were resistant to accepting any messaging that came “from the government.” To combat these obstacles, SGA developed the Los Anglers program.

This program allowed anglers to connect peer to peer and share best practices, tips and photos of recent catches. They began to spread the message of the dangers of eating contaminated fish themselves. Since Hispanics males comprised the most abundant ethnic group on piers and jetties, SGA focused the campaign on educating and encouraging them to throw back contaminated fish.

In addressing the barriers and motivators, SGA created a Tip Card that encouraged anglers to release the highly contaminated fish white croaker when caught. To motivate them, one side of the card illustrated a young child being treated by a physician. The child image reinforced the urgency to protect the health of the angler’s family while the image of the physician reinforced the legitimacy of the message. To overcome the barrier associated with a lack of contamination knowledge, the card showed a large image of a white croaker along with that corresponding text.

These efforts resulted in a 93% decrease in the amount of contaminated fish that anglers took home from the piers at the targeted area. This brought the excess incidences of cancer due to ingesting DDTs and PCBs in the contaminated fillets down by 28%, based on risk assessment using contaminant concentration and consumption rate information.

ON AVERAGE, 8 PEOPLE COULD

POTENTIALLY BE SAVED FROM

DEVELOPING CANCER IF THE

PROGRAM WERE DEVELOPED

COUNTYWIDE.

RESULTS: LOS ANGLERS PROGRAM

For the work that SGA accomplished for the FCEC, we were the winner of the Silver Anvil Award for Best Government Public Service Program in the nation. Our work was also featured in an issue of Social Marketing Quarterly in an article entitled “What’s the Catch,” which outlined the 90+% reduction in contaminated fish consumption in Southern California, specifically among Latino and Asian immigrant groups.

general outreach public health campaign · boat people sos (bpsos) reaching out to the vietnamese...

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