A Communication Inequalities Approach to Disparities in Physical Activities: The Case of the VERB Campaign

Abstract

This study focuses on the VERB campaign and explores whether the campaign effects differed across socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity groups. Using a three-wave longitudinal survey dataset, this study found that the effects of exposure to the VERB campaign on behaviors were mediated by descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intentions. More importantly, the VERB campaign increased intentions of being physically active by affecting PBC and descriptive norms across all social groups. When the link between intentions and behavior was taken into consideration, however, disparities between high and low SES, and majority and minority racial/ethnic group children emerged. The implications of this study for research on health disparities and public health communication campaigns are discussed.

Acknowledgments

C. J. Lee acknowledges the support of the Institute of Communication Research at Seoul National University, and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2018S1A3A2075114). The study sponsors had no role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing the report, and the decision to submit the report for publication.

We thank Dr. Marian Huhman, Dr. Brian Quick, and Dr. David Tewksbury for their insights and comments that greatly helped this research.

Notes

¹ An analysis of our data reveals that Caucasian children, those from high income households, and those with more educated parents exhibited more favorable attitudes toward physical activity than their less advantaged counterparts. Caucasian children also showed higher levels of injunctive and descriptive norms, and PBC than did other racial/ethnic group children. Children from high income households had stronger PBC than those from low income households. Children from more educated parents had stronger injunctive norms than did those from less educated parents. Details for these analyses are available from the first author upon request.

² Detailed results of the measurement invariance tests are available upon request from the first author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea [NRF-2018S1A3A2075114]; Institute of Communication Research at Seoul National University.