Short-Term Impact of a Multimedia Communication Campaign on Children’s Physical Activity Beliefs and Behavior

Abstract

To examine the short-term impact of the WIXX multimedia communication campaign on children’s physical activity (PA) beliefs and behaviors, 3 repeated cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted before, 9 months after, and 21 months after the launch of the campaign. A random-digit dialing procedure was used to recruit children ages 9 to 13 years. Children’s PA beliefs, behaviors, and recall of the WIXX ads were self-reported. Logistic regression models showed that girls exposed to the WIXX ads were more likely to believe that PA would help to make new friends (odds ratio [OR] = 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.0, 1.9]) and that they can be active even if too busy (OR = 1.4, 95% CI [1.0, 1.8]) compared to girls not exposed. Boys exposed were more likely to believe that PA would help to spend time with friends (OR = 1.4, 95% CI [1.1, 1.9]). Boys (OR = 1.5, 95% CI [1.1, 2.0.]) and girls (OR = 1.4, 95% CI [1.1, 1.8]) exposed were more likely to report having tried new PAs. No significant impact of the campaign was observed on overall PA after we controlled for confounders. Recall of the WIXX ads was associated with a significant, albeit modest, impact on some PA beliefs and intermediate PA behaviors.

Supplemental Material

Four supplemental appendices (Appendix 1: WIXX Multimedia Communication Campaign Component, Fall 2012–Spring 2014; Appendix 2: Correlation Matrix Between Recall, Sociodemographic, and Socioeconomic Variables and Dependent Variables According to Sex; Appendix 3: Distribution of Physical Activity Beliefs and Behaviors Among Tweens According to Recall and Sex; Appendix 4: Average Treatment Effect of the Recall of the WIXX Campaign Among Boys and Girls From a Propensity Score Matching Analysis) are available on the publisher’s website at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2016.1245802.

Funding

This study was supported financially by Québec en Forme. Ariane Bélanger-Gravel was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research at the time of data collection and analysis. Nicoleta Cutumisu was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Center of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal at the time of data collection and analysis. Lise Gauvin held a Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Centre de recherche en prévention de l’obésité Chair in Applied Public Health on Neighborhoods, Lifestyle, and Healthy Body Weight at the time of data collection.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported financially by Québec en Forme. Ariane Bélanger-Gravel was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research at the time of data collection and analysis. Nicoleta Cutumisu was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Center of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal at the time of data collection and analysis. Lise Gauvin held a Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Centre de recherche en prévention de l’obésité Chair in Applied Public Health on Neighborhoods, Lifestyle, and Healthy Body Weight at the time of data collection.