1. 1 Communicate healthy eating to adolescents Kara Chan, Gerard Prendergast, HKBU Alice Gronhoj, Tino Bech-Larsen, University of Aarhus, Denmark

2. 2 background Obesity is a global problem Estimated economic costs of obesity in developed countries: 2-7% of health care costs Obesity is related with psycho-social problems

3. 3 Obesity problem Estimated that over 155 million overweight children and youth in the world In HK: obesity among primary school students in HK increased from 16% in 97/98 to 19% in 04/05 One in every five children in HK is obese They also suffer from high blood pressure, blood sugar or abnormal blood fat levels

4. 4 Communicating healthy eating to children Seen as a socialization process Socializing agents: parents, government, teachers/schools, peer groups, food marketers health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO)

5. 5 Hong Kong context Densely populated 42% of population aged under 34 Educational system: exam-oriented, spoon- feeding, emphasis on academic performance Favorite leisure activities: TV, computer games, surfing on the Internet HK children extremely inactive

6. 6 Government input Department of Health: one of the missions is to promote public health through preventive, curative and rehabilitative services Government publicity: free TV airtime, 1 minute in every hour of broadcast (radio and TV)

7. 7 Past PSA campaigns 3 series of TVC  Healthy diet: 3+2 is the way  Healthy lunch box for elementary school students  Healthy snacks at schools for elementary school students No publicity targeted at adolescents

8. 8 Healthy lunch box

9. 9 Healthy snacks at schools

10. 10 Research questions What are their perceptions of healthy/unhealthy eating? How do they perceive about different socializing agents How do they respond to different advertising appeals

11. 11 method Survey based on a focus group study Construction of 5 ads (popularly, love, achievement, news, and fear) Sample: 152 grades 7-9 students (aged 12 to 16) Response rate: 95% Conducted in March 2007

12. 12 Popularity appeal

13. 13 love appeal

14. 14 achievement appeal

15. 15 news appeal

16. 16 fear appeal

17. 17 Results: eating habits percentage At least once a week

18. 18 Perception of healthy eating percentage

19. 19 Perception of unhealthy eating percentage

20. 20 contexts of healthy eating percentage

21. 21 contexts of unhealthy eating percentage

22. 22 Perceptions about socializing agents

23. 23 Responses to 5 ad appeals

24. 24 Conclusion: to promote healthy eating Two-pronged approaches: directly targeting the increasingly independent adolescents; or indirectly through parents Government: targeted messages that deals with eating out and social contexts Fear and news appeal