The effectiveness of mediated health communication campaigns: meta-analysis of differences in adoption prevention and cessation behavior campaigns.

This study utilizes meta-analysis to estimate the effectiveness of media campaigns in bringing about health behavior change. Data collection was conducted by entering keywords or phrases into four databases: Psychlit Soclit Medline and Eric. The following keywords were used: health campaign communication supplemented with education media mass media television posters billboards newspapers radio intervention anti-drug smoking risk cancer AIDS seat belts and community. In addition literature reviews books about campaigns 7000 abstracts and over 300 publications were also used. Findings revealed that campaigns have small but significant effects on behavior change. An average of 9% more people changed their behaviors in the desired direction in intervention communities than in communities without campaigns. The meta-analysis found that it was easier to promote the adoption of a new behavior than to prevent a new one or extinguish an old one. The average effect sizes for adoption prevention and cessation campaigns were r = .12 .06 and .05 respectively while the percentage changes between intervention and control communities were 12% 4% and 5%. Three interrelated factors should be considered by researchers and campaign planners when predicting the success rates of communication campaigns: 1) type of behavior change they are promoting (adoption cessation or prevention); 2) initial baseline rates of behavior; and 3) for adoption and cessation campaigns relation of baseline population to the center of the diffusion curve.