The Heart Healthy U multimedia campaign adapted to COVID-19 disruptions by utilizing electronic formats to reach approximately 15,043 college students to promote heart health and well-being.
Does the Heart Healthy U multimedia campaign increase awareness of heart disease risk and promote healthy behaviors in college students?
A multimedia heart health campaign on a college campus can be adapted to electronic formats and updated messaging during public health crises like COVID-19.
Objective: This one-year pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a multimedia campaign, Heart Healthy U (HHU), to increase awareness about the link between unhealthy behaviors and risk for heart disease among emerging adults on a college campus. This paper describes the implementation of HHU. Participants: The HHU campaign was implemented from the Fall of 2019 through Spring 2020 and during this time there were approximately 15,043 enrolled students at the south eastern U.S. college campus. Methods: The HHU campaign employed print (e.g., banners, posters, and yard signs) and electronic formats (e.g., email, Instagram). We designed the methods across three phases: (1) relationship building and formative research, (2) campaign development, and (3) the Heart Healthy U campaign launch. Results: The HHU encountered challenges when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19 or SARS-co-V2) interrupted campus life, however we relied on the electronic formats to reach students during the state-wide lockdown/quarantine mandates. In addition, there were two changes to the HHU health messages. First, we updated the health messages to illustrate that eating healthy and engaging in physical activity supports immune function. Next, we developed new health messages to address effects of physical isolation and anxiety by promoting psychological well-being during this historic public health crisis. Conclusions: We asked whether a multimedia campaign on a college campus could encourage emerging adults to consume fruits and vegetables and engage in physical activity according to the federally-recommended guidelines. It is essential that interventions intended to reach today’s emerging adults be presented in formats that they use (e.g., social media platforms), supported by campus administrators, and endorsed by peer influencers. In conclusion, more intervention studies are needed to counter the unhealthy social norm behaviors common to college campus life that increase heart disease risk, particularly among marginalized populations.
Wordlaw et al. (Mon,) conducted a other in Heart disease risk (n=15,043). Heart Healthy U (HHU) multimedia campaign was evaluated on Awareness about the link between unhealthy behaviors and risk for heart disease. The Heart Healthy U multimedia campaign adapted to COVID-19 disruptions by utilizing electronic formats to reach approximately 15,043 college students to promote heart health and well-being.
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