BioMed Central Blog

Assessing the effects of social marketing on physical activity behaviors

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (IJBNPA) has recently published its first thematic series of articles presenting research on how mass communication and social marketing affect levels of physical activity within a population.

With rising trends in obesity and the associated health problems, exacerbated by a lack of physical activity, governments are increasingly keen to address these issues by encouraging us to get active.

The series, ParticipACTION: Baseline research on the resurgence of Canada's physical activity social marketing leader,  focuses on ParticipACTION, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and supporting active living and sport participation for Canadians. Edited by Adrian Bauman and Mark Tremblay, the articles address a range of aspects including an assessment of the effect of a mass media campaign designed to inform parents of the risks associated with inactivity for children and youths.

What are your thoughts on this type of program? Are government initiatives such as this a viable way to improve public health?

Sally Robertson
Senior Assistant Editor

Posted by Alison Cobb at 10:34    Comments (0)