SBC Journal Club – Roles for mass media in changing behavioral determinants and behaviors
CORE Group SBC Working Group in collaboration with the FSN Network SBC Task Force
Description
What is the role of mass media for behavior change, especially when the behavior is a complex one, like exclusive breastfeeding? And can TV spots alone change mothers’ behaviors? Mass media is a logical tool for reaching enough families to have a population-wide effect on health behaviors. Yet there is a dearth of evidence on mass media’s impact on breastfeeding. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Alive & Thrive conducted an evaluation of its “talking babies” TV spots to understand whether and how they may have contributed to the rapid increase in exclusive breastfeeding in Viet Nam. The evaluation was built on behavioral theory and formative findings. It included creation, testing, and refinement of questions to measure the likely behavioral determinants. Join two of the article’s authors to learn what the TV spots alone did – and did not – accomplish. Following a brief presentation on the journal article, we invite an open exchange of ideas on the practicality of investing in mass media for behavior change.