Healthy Alamance: Healthy U Strategic Campaign

H E A L T H Y A L A M A N C E

Healthy U

Account Manager | Jill Hollis

Creative Director | Crista O’Neal

Communications Coordinator | Christine Mavraganis

Research Coordinator | Nicholas Ford

A Strategic Communications Campaign for

April Durr of Healthy Alamance

Produced by: J i l l Ho l l i s | Account Manager

Cr is ta O ’Nea l | Creat ive Direc tor Chr is t ine Mavraganis | Communicat ions Coord inator

Nick Ford | Research Coord inator

Submitted in partial fulfil lment of the requirements for COM 452 Spring 2012.

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Table of Contents:

I . Introduct ion ……………………………………… 4

I I . Background ………………………………………. 5

I I I . Current S i tuat ion …………………………….. 11

IV . Research …………………………………………. 16

V . Plans , Goa ls and Ob jec t ives ………………. 41

VI . Strategy …………………………………………. 45

VII . Tact i cs …………………………………………. 52

VII I . Budget …………………………………………. 68

IX . Timetab le ……………………………………….. 70

X . Evaluat ion ………………………………………. 85

XI . Conc lus ion and Summary …………………… 92

XII . Appendices …………………………………… 94

a . A p p e n d i x A … … … L i s t o f F a r m e r s M a r k e t s

b . A p p e n d i x B … … … … … … … . S u r v e y M o n k e y

c . A p p e n d i x C … … … … … … … … … … … W e b s i t e

d . A p p e n d i x D … … … … … . . S c h o o l T a k e H o m e

e . A p p e n d i x E … … … … … … … … … . . G y m F l y e r

f . A p p e n d i x F … … … … … … … . T i m e s - N e w s A d

g . A p p e n d i x G … … … . R e s t a u r a n t T a b l e T e n t

h . A p p e n d i x H … … … … … … … … … . P a r k F l y e r

i . A p p e n d i x I . . F o l l o w U p E v a l u a t i o n S u r v e y

Healthy U: Introduction 4

INTRODUCTION

The Healthy U campaign aims to change Alamance County community members’

perception of health. Within seven years, our goal is to have the countywide obesity rate

lowered by five percent. To reach this goal, the Healthy U campaign will focus on reaching the

following objectives, strategies, and tactics:

Community Education

• To create a multi-faceted communications campaign to educate the community about the

topic of obesity.

• To develop a partnership with the Burlington school district to educate families about the

importance of living healthy lives.

o Website and Social Media

o Printed Materials (school assignments)

Community Awareness

• To build a partnership between local restaurants and Healthy Alamance to raise

community awareness of healthy dining options.

• To create a multi-faceted communications campaign to raise awareness about the topic of

obesity.

o Healthy U Menu Items

o Printed Materials (flyers/information sheets)

Community Engagement

• To create a greater presence within the community by engaging community members

through healthy living opportunities.

o Family Fun Day

Healthy U: Background 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Healthy Alamance is an organization devoted to promoting healthy lifestyles and choices.

It works in conjunction with partners across the county who are advocates for specific health

topics. Its slogan is “Improving Health. Improving Life.” The mission statement is as follows:

“The activities of Healthy Alamance are designed to help improve access to, and increase

awareness of, preventive health services, as well as eliminate health disparities among the

disadvantaged.” Healthy Alamance determines its areas of focus based on the results of the

Alamance County Community Assessment, which is conducted every four years to better

understand the habits of Alamance County residents.

The partners who work with Healthy Alamance are the building blocks of the

organization and help them achieve its goals. With limited resources and budget, companies and

other nonprofits in the county are the biggest advocates for Healthy Alamance’s campaign.

Since it is such a small organization, Healthy Alamance relies on the support of the surrounding

community to fulfill its mission.

PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES

Every four years an assessment is conducted in which the current strengths and

challenges of Alamance County are compiled. The purpose of the Alamance Community

Assessment is to gain a better understanding of the health and wellness of residents in the

Alamance community. This assessment paints a picture of the current environment in Alamance

by assembling statistics from reliable sources of research, surveying opinions of county residents

and accessing the knowledge of our key leaders and decision-makers.

Healthy Alamance’s activities are designed to help improve access to, and enhance

awareness of, preventive health services, as well as eliminate health disparities among the


underprivileged. The organization hosts a variety of coalitions, each of which are composed of

community members working to better the state of Alamance County and its citizens. Each

coalition works within their focus area to encourage health habits to prevent or manage disease,

or improve the availability of information and resources so that people know how to find the help

they need.

The organization is currently directing its efforts towards chronic disease prevention,

specifically obesity prevention. Healthy Alamance works to improve community health with

organizations such as the Substance Abuse Task Force, which aims to develop initiatives in the

community that address the treatment and prevention of substance abuse. Such initiatives

include the prevention of tobacco and alcohol abuse, as well as increasing awareness about the

issues and problems around substance abuse in Alamance County. Healthy Alamance is a host

to many similar initiatives.

COMPOSITION

April Durr is the director and sole employee of Healthy Alamance. As an employee of

the Alamance Regional Hospital, she uses hospital statistics and resources to expand the

knowledge of the program. April is responsible for the administrative work and programs.

When she seeks assistance, she reaches out for volunteers through schools, churches and

community agencies.

Aside from the volunteers, there are different local partners that help Healthy Alamance

achieve its goals. Healthy Alamance’s current website provides information about other

organization’s substance abuse programs, community service programs and other related health

information that helps to spread the word about the various initiatives across the county. Yet the

main supporter of Healthy Alamance is Alamance Regional Medical Center. The local hospital


uses findings to maintain a standing with the IRS and gather tax benefits in order to support the

nonprofit organization. The Board of Directors overseeing the program also works to manage

the budget and set special allocations aside for fundraisers. Across the county, childcare centers,

local farming markets and recreational programs are all partners who help Healthy Alamance

serve its purpose. Since the slogan is “Improving Health. Improving Life,” any person or

organization promoting a healthy lifestyle is advocating for a healthier community, and therefore

furthers the mission of Healthy Alamance.

RELEVANT PUBLICS

Healthy Alamance has a wide variety of publics with whom they try to communicate.

These groups are of different ages, nationalities, races and genders. However, they all benefit

from the services and information that Healthy Alamance supplies. There are two categories of

publics that Healthy Alamance interacts with – those that need help and those that want to help.

Publics that look to Healthy Alamance for help and information:

· Children

· Working parents

· Disadvantaged families and individuals

· Employers/businesses

· Minorities

· Daycares or other child care organizations

· Senior citizens

· Faith communities

· Individuals with diabetes or other weight related diseases


· Families (both traditional and nontraditional)

· All other Alamance County residents

Publics that want to help Healthy Alamance in their mission:

· Donors/sponsors

· Health related organizations (partnerships)

· Local/State government organizations

· Local advocacy groups

· Schools/academic institutions

· Community leaders

· Current and potential volunteers

· Doctors and hospitals

· Businesses

· Local farmers

For this campaign, Healthy Alamance has decided to focus their campaign on the whole

population of Alamance County. Since the campaign’s focus will be on educating the

community, the segment will be focused around the groups that need help from Healthy

Alamance.

FUNDING

Healthy Alamance is a uniquely operating 501(c)(3) organization, and is very restricted

when it comes to funding. April Durr is the only Healthy Alamance employee and her salary is


paid by Alamance County Regional Medical Center, while the building that houses the

organization is funded by the Alamance County Health Department.

Since there is no direct source of funding for the organization, all of Healthy Alamance’s

events are supported by sponsorships or grants. Healthy Alamance will also occasionally partner

with organizations that have greater resources, such as the City of Burlington. Healthy

Alamance has never held any type of fundraiser, but Durr is open to potentially hosting one in

the future.

For this specific campaign, the budget ranges from approximately $1,000 to

$3,000. Since funds are so limited, our team is looking into various grants that Healthy

Alamance could apply for to receive additional monetary support.

COMPETITIVE FRAME

Alamance County is a very close-knit working community. According to April Durr,

competition is not an issue among the various organizations in the county. Across the board,

Alamance County has multiple initiatives to encourage its citizens to get moving and stay

healthy. Although Healthy Alamance is a smaller organization in the county, its wide reach

through multiple initiatives make it compatible with many other organizations. As it stands as an

organization now, Healthy Alamance is poised to serve many of the public’s needs.

Healthy Alamance is unique because it has only one employee, but multiple coalitions

that help to direct the organization toward its mission. Although organizations across the

community agree with the mission of Healthy Alamance, there is no countywide movement or

organized message to get community members to buy into the Healthy Alamance

mission. Various groups are on board, but are stuck on what exactly should be, or needs to be

done.


Given this information, it seems as though Healthy Alamance’s only competition is its

lack of organization toward a direct focus in getting its mission accomplished. The biggest

challenge for Healthy Alamance may prove to be organizing its group efforts toward a common

goal.

Healthy U: Current Situation 11

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Healthy Alamance is well represented within the community. Solid brand recognition,

along with other methods such as word of mouth, have contributed to its success. April Durr’s

goal for a new campaign is to focus on educating the public about the negative effects of

obesity. The campaign will try to reach out to Alamance County as a whole; however in order

for the organization to accomplish its goal, it will have to work around a few significant

issues. One of which is producing a cohesive campaign that can reach publics who speak

languages other than English.

DEVELOPMENT

Over the years, Healthy Alamance has conducted numerous strategic communications

efforts to increase awareness of preventive health services throughout Alamance County. Every

four years, the coalition members of Healthy Alamance work to update and develop Community

Health Action Plans detailing strategies to best address priority health issues. Members of the

organization’s coalition, through their respective Healthy Carolinians agencies, disseminate

information, foster collaboration, combine resources, implement programs, evaluate efforts and

identify additional needs. Healthy Alamance is currently focusing on directing efforts to prevent

chronic disease, specifically by obesity prevention.

In 2010, Healthy Alamance teamed with the Alamance County Health Department to

implement community wide programs to support behavior change. In one of these programs,

Healthy Alamance partnered with municipal parks and recreation departments throughout the

county and developed a Physical Activity and Recreation Challenge (PARC) Passport program.

In the program’s first year, it exposed more than 5,000 residents to the county’s most popular, as

well as undiscovered recreational areas, in an effort to get people up, out and about, and moving.


Healthy Alamance and the Alamance County Health Department did this by distributing free

physical activity passports, and prizes and rewards for those who went to the various parks to fill

out their passports. Results over the past two years show improvement with 74 passports

completed in 2010 and 147 completed in 2011.

CURRENT POSITION

Because Healthy Alamance is an awareness-based organization, the flow of

communication is one way. The organization provides information through outlets such as the

Internet, billboards, radio, door hangers and word of mouth. Most of the community is aware of

the initiatives that Healthy Alamance sponsors. However, because the organization integrates

campaigns from all over the county into their own, it must market itself in a unique manner.

What is missing in an overall feel of connectedness with Healthy Alamance. In order for people

to better understand the goals and objectives, they need to know what the organization

encompasses.

There is name awareness throughout the community, and the logo is well recognized.

Although that does not necessarily indicate how the community feels about the organization, is it

the first step in being able to target an audience. To those who are aware of its existence,

Healthy Alamance is well received because the community is aware of the countywide obesity

problem.

DIRECTION

The key problem that this campaign must address is the high obesity rate in Alamance

County. Although citizens in the county face many health issues, such as heart disease and

diabetes, the majority of such problems stem from obesity. Healthy Alamance should be the


front-runner in organizing businesses and citizens across the county to join together to eliminate

obesity.

Another issue that this organization must overcome is the language barrier throughout the

county. In the last year, the Latino population rose about 53 percent, making it more important

than ever to engage the Spanish speaking population. There is another communication barrier

regarding the rural parts of the county. Information is difficult to disseminate in a rural area,

especially when many residents do not have Internet access. Healthy Alamance will have to find

a way to reach citizens outside of the urban areas.

Healthy Alamance is certified under Healthy Carolinians, and has been following the

program outlined through the Healthy Carolinians objectives. Healthy Alamance partners with

other community organizations to help spread the message of healthy living through proper diet

and exercise.

This specific campaign will be centered on reducing and preventing obesity in the

citizens of Alamance County. The Healthy Alamance campaign will publicize general healthy

living by providing community members with tips on eating right and becoming active. It will

incorporate activities for entire families to complete together to foster both a sense of

accountability, and also to promote family fun. It will be multi-faceted in order to best reach all

of the target publics in the most engaging way possible.

VISION

April Durr’s main goal of this campaign is to get community members to buy into a

countywide health initiative. At this point, people are aware of the organization’s programs, but

it is necessary to have a more cohesive campaign in order to get people on board with the


movement. Healthy Alamance should operate as an umbrella for smaller, individual health

campaigns.

Since Healthy Alamance is composed of many different coalitions and partners with a

variety of community groups, its inner organization can get confusing. Ideally, Healthy

Alamance will serve as a portal for all health initiatives happening within the county. Durr

wants the organization to serve as the place for community members to go to receive all news

and events about any health related happenings in Alamance County.

Durr is open to new ideas as long as they are both sustainable and realistic. She is the

only employee, which means that she is responsible for all of the activity and administrative

work within the organization. Every recommendation should therefore be sustainable and

manageable by Durr alone. She acknowledged the need for a new website and brochures or

booklets to advertise their various events, but is not sold on the idea of a new logo since many

people recognize the current Healthy Alamance logo.

PITFALLS

Alamance County has a diverse population, which can expand into multiple issues when

creating a successful communications campaign that reaches the whole community. For

example, a large majority of the population, about 19 percent in 2010, lives in poverty. Since

Healthy Alamance is trying to target everyone in the county, the communication efforts have to

be structured to fit every demographic. It is important to keep in mind that not everyone in the

county has Internet access, so a fully digital campaign is not suitable for the greater population.

For those that do have access, keeping the Healthy Alamance website and Facebook updated

with recent information and events will help communicate with that segment of the population.


It is also important that the campaign involves multiple mediums of communication for

the best coverage. Another issue that needs careful attention is the large amount of minority

groups in the county. Having an English only campaign will miss the mark on the rapidly

growing Hispanic population, some of whom still use Spanish as their native language. Having a

campaign that uses a combination of languages will have a greater success in reaching the

intended audience.

Additionally, the small nonprofit organization has a severely limited budget. While

Alamance Regional Medical Center pays for Durr’s salary, and the organization’s building is

funded by the Alamance County Health Department, all other funding for Healthy Alamance

comes from donations, sponsorships or grants. Such limited finances are an issue for an

organization that is based on raising awareness of health issues throughout the county. The lack

of funding for Healthy Alamance is one of the organization’s most prominent pitfalls.

Finally, the biggest issue would be constructing a campaign that Durr can manage by

herself or with a very small staff. Durr is now updating multiple Facebook pages along with

managing the whole organization. Creating a campaign that will take more manpower than is

provided will be counterproductive and will not reach the publics effectively. It will be

beneficial for both the organization and the publics if the campaign is focused around simple,

effective communication.

Healthy U: Research 16

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Obesity is an extremely prevalent issue across the nation, and specifically in North

Carolina. In creating a campaign to combat the effects of obesity in Alamance County, it was

necessary to complete extensive primary and secondary research. Through this research, we

were able to determine specific elements about the affected community members, including but

not limited to:

• Do community members perceive obesity as a prevalent issue?

• What are the causes of obesity in Alamance County?

• What are some healthy initiatives that community members are engaging in?

• What is the most important demographic to target in obesity education?

In order to gather an applicable amount of responses to the above questions, we surveyed

community members through a mall intercept at Alamance Crossing and community leaders

through an email survey and a survey distributed through Survey Monkey. We collected all data

into a spreadsheet to share with the group for the most efficient means of analysis.

After analyzing our research findings, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the

general issue of obesity, the effects of obesity in Alamance County and more developed ideas

with which to direct our campaign. Although many of the community members we spoke with

were obese themselves, they did not believe that an obesity problem existed in Alamance

County. In addition to other research, these findings prove that we must include an educational

component in our campaign to make citizens aware of the prevalence of the obesity issue and

how they can change their lives to combat it.


STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Through Healthy Alamance, we are aiming to create a campaign that both educates

citizens about obesity and related issues and provides resources that can be used to create a

healthier lifestyle. Primary research has affirmed that children and their parents should be the

target of our campaign, and we will use that research to build a successful and efficient anti-

obesity campaign for Alamance County.

Over the past 20 years, obesity rates of nearly every state in the nation have increased

dramatically and continued to have remained high. According to studies conducted by the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%”

in 2010.1 North Carolina obesity rates fall within the 36 states that have a prevalence of 25

percent or more, with an obesity prevalence rate of 27.1 percent in 2010.2

In Alamance County specifically, 31.4 percent of adults were reported to be obese in

2008, up from 26.3 percent of obese adults in 2004.3 Now, North Carolina is the fourteenth most

obese state in the nation, according to the eighth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens

America’s Future 2011 report, conducted by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert

Wood Johnson Foundation.4 These results prove that obesity is a present issue, especially in

North Carolina, that has only worsened in recent years. Although many anti-obesity campaigns

have stemmed from the increasing prevalence of this issue, few notable successes have been

1 "U.S. Obesity Trends." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Feb. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html>.

2 "U.S. Obesity Trends." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Feb. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html>.

3 "County Level Estimates of Obesity - State Maps." Diabetes Data and Trends. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DDT_STRS2/CountyPrevalenceData.aspx?mode=OBS>.

4 "New Report: North Carolina Is 14th Most Obese State in the Nation." F as in Fat 2011 North Carolina Press Release. Trust for America's Health. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2011/release.php?stateid=NC>.


achieved through such programs, as obesity continues to remain a poignant issue that faces the

American community.

Many factors can contribute to the problem of obesity, including access to healthy foods,

poverty levels, amount of physical activity and education about healthy living, to name a few.

Within the Alamance County population of slightly more than 150,000 people, sixteen percent of

people live below the poverty line, and approximately 28,000 people did not graduate high

school.5 Statistics such as these prove that there are many present threats to combating obesity in

Alamance County.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS/HYPOTHESES

• What are some general causes of obesity? What other problems can obesity cause?

• What is the leading cause of obesity in the county (going out to eat too often, little

exercise)?

• What are some things that residents of Alamance County can do to improve their health

(join a gym, go to a park, learn about healthy alternatives, buy healthier foods)?

• What do residents need to know the most about health and obesity?

• Have residents noticed an obesity problem in Alamance County?

To begin to understand the problem of obesity in Alamance County, the questions had to

be very geographically specific to the area in inquiring how much its residents know about health

and obesity. An impactful campaign that will really change behaviors has to also identify the

sources of the problem.

5 Health Innovation Challenge: Alamance County. Rep. NC State University: Institute for Emerging Issues,

2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.ncsu.edu/iei/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Alamance.pdf>.


The above questions were presented in questionnaire form to different classifications of

residents – local nonprofit organization leaders, community leaders and community members.

The perspectives of these groups in Alamance County gave a really detailed analysis of the real

problem in terms of obesity - lack of time. This means time to cook, time to eat, time to shop,

and everything in between. The community members’ answers also gave insight into how

relevant and beneficial a healthy diet and exercise combination is for everyone.

The conversation presented a detailed look into the current state of the county, which is

an integral part to understanding community behavior. The most important question is, “What

can be done to change perceptions of health and exercise?” It seems as though most residents

are incredibly busy and need a mindset change in order to eat healthier and recognize the

importance of consistent exercise.

The causes of obesity may vary from region to region, so it is important to identify

exactly what the causes are for Alamance County. Through our primary research we found that

most community members did not see obesity as an issue in the county, even though most of the

residents surveyed were overweight. When asked a similar question, community organization

leaders felt that weight and health was a problem but that residents often ignored it or were

unaware of its prevalence. The majority of community members also admitted to shopping and

staying in as being one of the top things they do for fun. Low exertion activities like shopping

were incredibly popular in that category of the survey, with only 2.4 percent of the people

surveyed listing hiking or similar higher exertion activities. In Alamance County, time

constraints are incredibly important to all of the people surveyed. Citing convenience and

efficiency, 75 percent of respondents eat fast food multiple times per week.


METHOD

Primary Research:

• Intercept Survey – Community members

• Email Survey – Alamance County Community Council

• Survey Monkey Survey – Leadership Alamance

Each survey was composed of different types of questions including open-ended,

multiple choice and dichotomous. These questions allowed opportunities for the participants to

give their opinions on various topics, such as what would help Healthy Alamance achieve its

goals. It is important to get opinions and thoughts from the community in order to formulate a

plan that will really work to benefit those who are directly affected.

Surveys, especially the intercept survey, were the best way to connect with the

community. While the email surveys allowed us to gather important opinions from key

community leaders, the intercept survey allowed us the opportunity to converse face to face with

the members of the community that we are trying to reach through our campaign. By

participating in an intercept survey, there was an added opportunity to observe the members of

the community that we personally interviewed. Some of the residents were eating fast food in

their car immediately following the interview, while others were very thin and fit. Actually

seeing who is answering the questions gives extra, unintended information. For this community

survey, the Alamance Crossing shopping center in Burlington served as the survey location.

Since it was a popular location, there ended up being a solid sample population which helped

validate our final results. Additionally, asking questions in person presented the opportunity to

not only elaborate on answers, but also to have a genuine conversation with the target

population.


The survey that was sent through email to the Alamance County Community Council was

not as personal as the intercept survey; however, since it was sent to people who were familiar

with the problems that are harming the community, the answers were just as elaborate and

detailed. The Community Council is composed of top employees of local nonprofit

organizations. These people often have first-hand experience with the community members that

we are trying to reach: including organizations that are focused on children, families and people

with insufficient knowledge or resources of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. It is essential for us

to get the perspectives of those who have daily interactions with the community members in

order to properly position our campaign.

Lastly, we administered a Survey Monkey survey to the members of Leadership

Alamance. It was important to gather responses from this specific group of people because of

their extensive knowledge of the county in combination with their unique opinions on how to

best help the county and its citizens toward a more successful future. Not only do these members

have prior knowledge of the issues currently facing Alamance County residents, but they also

have keen perspectives of how to best address such problems. This group was able to provide us

with insightful information about obesity in Alamance County specifically, including what they

believe the most successful outreach methods may be.

Of the three survey methods that were completed, including the mall intercept and the

two emailed surveys, the total reach was 85 people. They were of various ages and life

situations, which made this a highly successful population sample. The email survey was sent to

two different groups of people: The Community Council, which is comprised of employees of

various nonprofits throughout Alamance County, and Leadership Alamance, which is made up of

community leaders.


The Community Council survey generated a response from 5 members. The entire leader

sample was comprised of women holding varying positions in the following organizations: the

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, Alamance Partnership for Children, Burlington Housing

Authority, Benevolence Farm and Friendship Adult Day Services. It is incredibly important to

have multiple viewpoints on this issue in order to figure out how to best direct the campaign.

Organization leaders were chosen because not only are they are residents of the

community, but they also come in contact with community members of different groups, races

and ages, making them experts of the community. They often have a large-scale perspective of

the issues that are prevalent within the community, along with knowledge of how they may be

addressed. Their vast leadership experiences within, and opinions of, the county will only aid us

in our attempt to positively affect the community.

For the community member mall intercept survey, there was a reach of 41 community

members. Out of the 41 residents, 13 of them were males and 28 of them were females. Their

ages ranged between 12 and 81 years old, which gave some insight into every age group and

their habits. The survey was distributed randomly by four students located throughout Alamance

Crossing on March 9, 2012, between the hours of 2:45 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

This questionnaire was administered in a random fashion, because it is a questionnaire

about the community as a whole and not for any specific group of people. It was incredibly

important not to favor one specific demographic because of how widespread this issue is. Prior

to distributing the questionnaire, we were unsure which audience would be most beneficial to

target with our campaign. We wanted to be able to take the results of our survey and determine

from our analysis which groups would best benefit from our campaign. This initial intercept

survey would help clarify which group needs the most attention and how to reach the target


demographic in the best way possible. It was also beneficial to see how community members

viewed and responded to their own health and wellness.

Secondary Research:

• List of area farmers markets

• Previous health/obesity related research done by universities and other organizations

• Obesity information – Alamance County Assessment

• Similar/successful regional programs

• Recreational activities – gyms, parks

Secondary research played a large part in understanding the current state of the county

from an overarching viewpoint. What became most important while researching were the topics

of general obesity, healthy living and other successful health programs from regions across the

state. These topics gave more insight that interviews and questionnaires could not provide. All

of the secondary research was found on the Internet using sources such as government

documents, local/grassroots information websites and health organization websites. This method

allowed us to find specialized information related to this specific geographic area, which

provided a more developed understanding of the county and what it has to offer.

The topic of healthy living included everything from healthy diets to places of recreation.

By looking into these resources and handing out questionnaires, it became clear that most

Alamance County residents do not know of or do not take advantage of the recreational areas

offered. A similar situation happened with farmers markets. There are multiple markets

throughout Alamance County that are not being taken advantage of. These are areas of concern,


and it was important to uncover if they were inconvenient or just unknown by the residents of

Alamance County.

Both recreational facilities and farmers markets serve as the foundations for creating

healthy lifestyles. Diet and exercise are the main components for both losing weight and

maintaining a healthy body weight, so in order to reduce the obesity rate within Alamance

County, it is important for citizens to be made aware of the resources already available to them.

By simply educating residents on the healthy opportunities that are currently available to them,

they can choose to take advantage of such resources in an effort to decrease the countywide

obesity rates.

Other regions’ successful programs were important to research because of the relevancy

of this subject matter. Programs implemented by other health organizations and institutions are

working successfully in different ways, for different reasons. In order to create a successful

campaign, it is necessary to understand why programs are working in other areas and how those

factors can be applied to create something in Alamance County. This research will provide

ideas, strategies and tactics to help form the most successful campaign for Healthy Alamance.

Finally, researching the topic of overall obesity is important in order to actually come up

with a program that will help the overweight population. This understanding will provide the

knowledge needed to relate to and inform the population of what it means to be healthy and why

a lifestyle and mindset change will be incredibly beneficial in the long run. Both a general

knowledge of obesity and how it affects this county specifically will provide the groundwork for

the campaign and determine its success.


FINDINGS

Primary Research:

The primary research was gathered through three forms of data collection: mall

intercepts, an email survey and a survey distributed through Survey Monkey. The mall intercept

was selected to survey a wide range of average citizens of Alamance County. Four students

were stationed around the shops of Alamance Crossing shopping center to ask questions

regarding the health initiatives of Alamance County and its citizens. The following are the

results.

The mall intercept survey was distributed at Alamance Crossing, where 41 randomly

selected people were asked ten questions each. The first question presented was “How many

times do you eat at fast food restaurants?”

Twenty individuals responded that they never ate at fast food restaurants, ate only once,

or twice a week. Ten people responded they went out three or four times a week. Six

individuals stated they went out five or six times, and five people said they went out to eat seven

or more times a week.

49%

24%

15%

12%

How many times a week do you eat at Fast Food Restaurants?

0,1,2

3,4

5,6

7+


To further elaborate on the answer to the first question, participants were asked why they

choose to eat at fast food restaurants. All 41 answers fell into one of three categories:

Convenience, financial reasons, or social and enjoyment purposes.

Twenty-seven people replied that going out to eat is more convenient than preparing a

meal at home. Six individuals said that going out is cheaper than eating at home. Lastly, eight

people said that eating out is enjoyable.

The next question asked was “What do you do in your free time?” The answers were

classified into six categories: Movies/TV, Exercise, Socialize, Shop, Read/Play Games, or Other.

66%

15%

19%

Reasons for going out to eat

Convenience

Financial Reasons

Enjoyment/Social

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Movies/Tv Exercise Socialize Shop Read/Play Games Other

What do you do in your free time?


Twelve individuals stated they watch television or go to the movies in their free time.

Seven people said they read or play games, while six people replied with some form or exercise

such as walking or golfing. Six other individuals also replied with answers classified as “other”.

Finally, five people said they shop, and the other five said they enjoy socializing with friends or

family.

To understand how citizens felt about obesity, the question was asked, “Do you feel there

is an obesity problem in Alamance County?”

Twenty-six people said yes, nine said no, and six replied they were unsure.

The next question asked if people had ever heard of Healthy Alamance.

63% 22%

15%

Do you feel there is an obesity problem in Alamance County?

Yes No Not Sure

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Yes

No

Not Sure

Have you Heard of Healthy Alamance?


Thirty-two answered no, eight responded yes, and one was unsure.

To better understand how residents follow news topics, the question was asked, “How do

you get your primary source of news?”

The most common answer selected was the Internet. The second most common answer

was television with 12, followed by newspaper with eight. Social media received four responses,

and finally three people selected radio.

The last two questions asked dealt with demographics. Participants were asked how long

they have lived in the county. Out of the forty-one individuals, twenty-four chose to answer.

Out of twenty-four, five have lived in the county for ten years or less. Six people have lived in

the county for forty years or less. The remaining thirteen people have lived in Alamance County

for their whole lives.

The final question asked for the participants’ ages. Twenty people chose to provide their

ages.

0 5 10 15

TV

Internet

Newspaper

Radio

Social Media

How do you get your primary sources of news?

Series 1


Nine people were between the ages of thirty-one and fifty. Seven were between the ages

of fifty-one and seventy. Three people were thirty years or younger. Finally, one respondent

was above the age of seventy-one.

The second type of primary research was a survey composed of four questions. This

survey was sent out in two different ways to two different groups of people: the Community

Council and Leadership Alamance. Although the survey was sent out using two different

methods, the questions generated similar responses from all respondents.

The Survey Monkey version of the questionnaire was sent to Leadership Alamance,

leading members of the community, while the basic email survey was sent to the Community

Council, leading nonprofit employees. Both versions of the survey included the same questions.

Forty-four responses were gathered from both groups. These questions contained more specific

answers because of the education level of the participants.

The first question was, “Do you feel as though the community is aware of the problem of

obesity in Alamance County? Twenty-four participants answered no, fourteen selected yes,

while four were undecided.

15%

45%

35%

5%

Age

30 and under 31-50 51-70 71+


The next question asked individuals what they thought were the main reasons for obesity

in the county. All forty-four participants replied with multiple responses, however, twenty-nine

listed unhealthy eating habits as a cause for obesity. Nineteen individuals stated something

about the lack of education surrounding healthy foods as a cause.

The next question asked “Which of the following strategies do you believe would be most

useful to target obesity?” Participants could choose more than one answer from a possible 22

answers. The top six answers were graphed.

Twenty-three people selected a Community Wide Physical Activity Program. Twenty-

five participants chose School System advocacy and change, and twenty-two selected Corporate

Wellness Program partnerships. Twenty-three people selected Farmers Markets and Access to

0 5 10 15 20 25

Community Wide Physical Activity Programs

School System advocacy and change

Farmers Markets/Access to Fresh Foods

Corporate Wellness Program partnerships

Educating groups and individuals

Before/After School Programs

Which of the following strategies would be most useful to target

obesity? (Choose more than one)


Fresh Foods. The fifth and sixth most selected answers were Educating Groups and Individuals,

and Before- and After-School Programs, both with fifteen selections.

The final question asked which group of people Healthy Alamance would affect the most.

Thirty respondents said it would have the highest effect on children, followed by parents with

eleven replies. Two people replied that senior citizens would receive the greatest benefit, while

three selected other answers.

Secondary Research:

The secondary research was gathered from the Internet from a variety of publications,

from government documents to medical center websites. We researched obesity in North

Carolina, farmers markets available in the area (see Appendix), recreational activities and

programs offered in Alamance County and anti-obesity campaigns that have been successful in

other areas. Each of these areas are important to not only better understanding our target

audience, but also to finalizing the details of our Healthy Alamance anti-obesity campaign.

North Carolina is ranked the fourteenth most obese state in the United States. Obese and

overweight are not interchangeable terms, rather one is less severe than the other. The Center for

Disease Control and Prevention defines overweight as having a Body Mass Index of 25-29.9,

while obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index of 30 and above.


H e i g h t W e i g h t R a n g e B M I C o n s i d e r e d

5 ’ 9 ” 1 2 4 l b s o r l e s s B e l o w 1 8 . 5 U n d e r w e i g h t

1 2 5 l b s – 1 6 8

l b s

1 8 . 5 – 2 4 . 9 H e a l t h y W e i g h t

1 6 9 l b s – 2 0 2

l b s

2 5 . 0 – 2 9 . 9 O v e r w e i g h t

2 0 3 l b s o r m o r e 3 0 o r h i g h e r O b e s e

Fifteen years ago, North Carolina had a combined obesity and overweight rate of 51.5

percent. Ten years ago, it was 57.7 percent. Now, the combined rate is 65.5 percent, according

to the annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future (2011). Mississippi ranks as

the number one most obese state with 7 in 10 adults constituting as obese as compared to the

thinnest state, which is Colorado. Colorado’s obesity percentage is less than 20. The combined

obese and overweight percentage for adolescents in North Carolina is 31.6. 18.5 percent of

children and adolescents are obese, while 13.1 percent are overweight according to the North

Carolina assessment. One of every four dollars spent on primary care for children is due to

physical inactivity, excess weight and Type II Diabetes.

Excessive weight is the highest costing risk factor in the state of North Carolina. Costing

approximately $17.6 billion, the second most expensive risk factor totals only $8.4 billion.

Compared to 2006, the cost for excessive weight in billions was 15.6. The financial costs for

obesity were estimated at $24.1 billion annually for medical costs and lost productivity in North

Carolina. That means that every day, every man, woman and child across the state paid $6.80 to


cover the bill.6 An overweight or obese adult in NC will incur costs of more than $27,000

midway in their working life and more than $210,000 by the time of retirement due to health

issues.

Through research of existent parks and recreational facilities, it is evident that Alamance

County offers many different types of recreation for people of all ages and interests. For those

people who enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, fishing, picnics, camping,

canoeing, kayaking and disc golf, there are numerous places to do these activities. Cedarock

Park, Great Bend Park at Glencoe and Shallow Ford Natural area are all located in Burlington

and offer all of the afore mentioned outdoor activities. Community centers such as Eli Whitney

Community Center and Pleasant Grove Community Center also give Alamance County residents

opportunities for many forms of recreation. These centers include full size gymnasiums for

people looking to play basketball and other gym activities, fitness rooms, lighted baseball and

softball fields, playgrounds and walking tracks, which appeal to a variety of interests.

For families interested in involving their kids in organized sports, Alamance County

offers numerous youth athletic programs including football, basketball, baseball and softball for

boys and girls. These sports are held at various fields and facilities including Eli Whitney,

Pleasant Grove and other county affiliated areas as well as non-county fields and facilities

including churches and schools. Alamance County also offers private gyms with affordable

memberships.

The Rush Fitness Complex is currently offering a free five-day trial membership for

people interested in joining a gym and is also a special discounted joining fee of only thirty-nine

6 Eat Smart Move More: Plan to Prevent Overweight, Obesity and Related Chronic Disease. 26 July 2011.

Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/stateplan/docs/esmm_state_plan_desktop_printer_ver.pdf>.


dollars. There are multiple YMCAs in Alamance as well as other gyms such as Gold’s Gym that

offer reasonably priced memberships.

Although many states and counties have taken initiatives to combat obesity in local

communities, not all approaches have proven beneficial. The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

“Strong 4 Life” campaign, for example, stirred up a lot of controversy because of its aggressive

advertising techniques (strong4life.com). Both local and national news media picked up the

effects of the campaign, which many believed were too harsh toward the issue of obesity. The

campaign showed videos of overweight children talking about their own battle with obesity as

the leading cause of many other adolescent issues, including bullying and negative attitudes and

remarks from their parents. This highly controversial campaign was believed to be entirely too

harsh to make a difference among obese children, instead only turning the children and their

parents away from the issue at hand.

In contrast, First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, which has been in

place for approximately two years, encourages children and teens to set goals toward living

healthier, more active lifestyles (http://www.letsmove.gov/). This campaign’s emphasis on the

positive effects of changing habits to create a healthier lifestyle has achieved more success than

attacking children and families about their lifestyle choices. In the young two years of this

campaign, it has already resulted in major changes to be enacted this coming fall, at the start of

the 2012-2013 school year. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will increase funding for school

breakfasts and lunches in addition to giving the Agriculture Department jurisdiction over

nutrition standards of all foods sold in schools, including what is present in lunch lines and

vending machines.7 These new regulations include standards of doubling the amount of fruits

7 “Let’s Move! How Fast Is It Moving Forward?” The Root. Web. 1 May 2012. <

http://www.theroot.com/views/how-quickly-let-s-move-moving-forward>.


and vegetables on a weekly basis, switching all grains to whole grains and offering milk only in

fat-free or low-fat options. Additionally, more than one hundred thousand more low-income

children have been enrolled in school meal programs. The positive partnership with the school

system has given this campaign unparalleled success.

Throughout our research, it seems as though the most efficient anti-obesity campaigns

focus on providing children and their parents with healthy activities and initiatives. We have

researched many successful campaigns in order to make the Healthy Alamance obesity campaign

as efficient as possible.

The Catawba County Healthy House, for example, is the first initiative of its kind in the

region. The population of Catawba County exceeds the statewide barriers to health faced by

minority and indigent children, including socioeconomic, cultural and environmental obstacles.8

The Catawba Valley Medical Center receives grants for the house to prevent and treat childhood

obesity. This is done through the Healthy House Wellness FAN (fitness, awareness, nutrition)

prevention initiative, which includes education, activities, resources and treatment options for

obese children.

To incorporate the successful aspects of this program into the Healthy Alamance Healthy

U campaign, it would be beneficial to offer resources to those who already suffer from the

effects of obesity. Many programs only discuss methods of prevention, but it is important to also

reach out to those who are currently affected by obesity to offer ways to live a healthier lifestyle.

We will use this prevalent research as a guide to planning the variety of resources that our

campaign will provide.

8 "Healthy House | Catawba Valley Medical Center | Hickory, NC." Catawba Valley Medical Center. Web.

16 Mar. 2012. <http://catawbavalleymedical.org/healthy-house>.


Another successful program is the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities campaign that is

established in cities across the nation. In 2008, UNC Chapel Hill was awarded funding to

implement a local branch of this program. This initiative encompasses a variety of strategies to

fight obesity, including access to fresh foods and the promotion of active lifestyles. Specifically

in North Carolina, this campaign targets obesity starting in children under the age of six in

addition to children from families that live below the poverty line.9 Successful elements of the

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities campaign could be incorporated into the Healthy Alamance

Healthy U campaign. Through our research, access to fresh foods seems to be one of the major

reasons that the people of Alamance County suffer from obesity. If ideas from the UNC Chapel

Hill initiatives could be practiced within Alamance County, it may be possible to achieve better

results.

It was important to research various successful regional anti-obesity campaigns in order

to better craft our own Healthy Alamance Campaign. By combining the most successful aspects

of each competitive campaign and implementing new and innovative ideas, our Healthy U

initiative will be the most productive and efficient program possible.

ANALYSIS

In order to better analyze the results from our surveys, all of the responses were compiled

in spreadsheets. This enabled us to group the answers together and gain a better understanding

of the public perception of health initiatives of citizens in Alamance County.

The mall intercept survey consisted of ten questions and based on our results, we were

able to see some evident conclusions as to why health is such a big issue in Alamance County.

9 "Healthy Kids Healthy Communities." Healthy Kids Healthy Communities. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.healthykidshealthycommunities.org/>.


Of the 41 people that were questioned, 21 ate fast food on a regular basis, which we decided was

at least three times per week. Eleven of those 21 said that they eat fast food five or more times

every week. Based on these answers, people in Alamance County are predominately eating fast

food just as often, if not more so, than they are cooking at home.

The results from our next question helped us conclude that the majority of people, 27 out

of 41 questioned, eat fast food as opposed to cooking at home because of convenience. Of the

other fourteen responses, the only two answers were that eating out is cheaper and more

enjoyable. We classified answers such as “it is easier” and “I don’t have the time” or “I am lazy

and do not really feel like cooking very often” as convenience. Based on these responses, it is

clear that the majority of people either do not have time with their busy work and family

schedules to resist eating at fast food restaurants.

Our next question was designed to get a better understand of how active the people are in

Alamance County. Based on our responses, we concluded that the majority of people in

Alamance County are not very active. Of the 41 questioned, only six replied that they exercise

in their free time. The answers from the rest of the people included staying inside and reading,

socializing, watching television or going to the movies, and other responses that did not include

exercise. Yet a point to consider is that the ages of the people we questioned tended to be older,

which may have been indicative as to why they did not prefer to be active in their free time.

Although only about half of the respondents (20) chose to give us their age, only three of those

20 were below the age of 30. Based on the ages of the people we questioned, we were able to

conclude that there is a direct correlation between how active a person is and their age. Also, the

majority of the people that chose not to give us their age were older people according to all four

students and we believe that this may have been a significant factor in analyzing our results.


The next two questions asked were dealt with health awareness. About two- thirds of the

people we surveyed believed that there was an obesity problem in Alamance County. Also, 14

of the 19 people who have lived in Alamance County for a long time, which we deemed more

than ten years, believe there is an obesity problem, with nine out of 13 people who have lived

here all their life believing obesity is a problem. Based on these responses, we concluded that a

large majority of the community, especially those who have lived here for an extended period of

time, believe that there is an obesity problem in the county.

Of the 41 people we surveyed, 32 people had never heard of Healthy Alamance. This is a

significant number that we would like to address and hopefully reduce with our campaign.

APPLICATION/INTERPRETATION

The findings from both primary and secondary research methods will be used to create

our Healthy Alamance Healthy U campaign. The research will help to target a specific audience

that community members believe could benefit the most from the campaign, while taking into

account similar initiatives’ successes and incorporating what the community of Alamance

County would like to see.

Our secondary research was used to gain a better understanding of the problem of obesity

as is prevalent in North Carolina, and more specifically, Alamance County. Not only did we

familiarize ourselves with statistics about who is most plagued by obesity, but also the programs

that are already present in the area. Secondary research on successful regional anti-obesity

initiatives will allow us to incorporate successful strategies into our own campaign to help

achieve the overall mission. We also researched regional farmers markets and recreational

activities open to the public, while our primary research made it clear that many Alamance

County citizens are unaware that such programs exist.


The mall intercept and email surveys gave us a more direct perspective from the

community members regarding their views toward obesity. Although our secondary research

showed that obesity is quite prevalent throughout the state, the majority of people we talked to

did not believe that obesity is an issue in Alamance County. Given this information, it seems

clear that there is a lack of education about the harmful effects of obesity in addition to ways to

work toward living a healthier lifestyle. If the majority of people do not recognize the problem,

it is hard to fix. However once the community is educated on the issue of obesity and its

negative effects, then they may be more apt to recognize weaknesses in themselves and

consequently be more willing to change. This becomes an important aspect of our campaign –

we must educate the community in addition to offering solutions to the problem.

Through directly interacting with members of the community in our primary research, we

were also able to gain a better understanding of what all our campaign should encompass.

Community leaders emphasized the importance of starting healthy habits with younger

generations, citing that the most beneficial routes may be to utilize the school system. Since

education of young children was such a popular response from many community leaders, it may

have also proven beneficial to interview people directly connected with the school system. We

were able to get responses from many professionals that work with children, such as employees

of the Boys & Girls Club, but our research may have been even more detailed had we reached

out to those directly involved with the school system.

While we had brainstormed some ideas for the Healthy Alamance campaign, this

research proved to confirm the importance of educating the community in addition to providing

preventative programs and healthy lifestyle initiatives. It was important to validate our ideas

with the results of our primary research to determine the route and potential successes and

weaknesses of our campaign. We will be able to use the data collected to guide us through


planning and implementing a successful anti-obesity campaign for the people of Alamance

County.

Healthy U: Plans, Goals & Objectives 41

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Although many residents claim to be aware of the problem of obesity in Alamance

County, little is being done to combat it, according to our research. Inactivity, poor diets and

busy schedules are major contributors to the county’s situation. In order to reduce the amount of

overweight and obese residents, there needs to be a change in behavior and perception of healthy

living. Engaging in healthy habits such as exercise and healthy eating will positively influence

change in both individual and community behaviors.

Changing behavior of an entire community will be difficult, especially since the whole

community has to buy into it. “Healthy U,” the proposed new overarching umbrella of Healthy

Alamance, will address all sides of healthy living, including obesity. This will address the value

of Healthy Alamance being the health portal for the community, bringing a focus to education,

family participation and community perception change.

Finally, the objectives for the campaign include lowering the overall obesity rate of

Alamance County; increasing the community’s participation in addressing obesity; and

increasing the numbers of families pledging to live healthier lives together.

OBJECTIVES:

• To change community members’ perception of health

o Within seven years, the obesity rate as outlined in the next Alamance County

Community Health Assessment will be lowered by 5%

• To educate citizens on health and health-related issues

o Within one year, 45% of local residents surveyed will report that they want to

address the obesity problem in Alamance County

• To encourage families to engage in healthy initiatives


o Within one year, 10% of local residents surveyed will report that they participate

in healthy activities as a family

STATEMENT OF POLICY AND INTENT

This campaign addresses the issue of obesity among community members. Alamance

County is the twenty-third most obese county in one hundred counties in North Carolina, which

is the fourteenth most obese state in the country. Alamance County also has the highest amount

of fast food restaurants per square mile in the country. Residents believe that going out to eat is

both convenient and cost efficient compared to preparing a meal at home. Many other factors

contribute to the obesity issue in the county, such as the poverty level and the lack of access to

fresh foods.

Changing the perception about healthy habits and how to work toward establishing a

healthy routine is the goal of the campaign. It is equally important to educate citizens about

healthy eating and what activities they can engage in to be physically fit. The campaign will

seek to better understand why Alamance County residents make the decisions they do regarding

poor food selection and lack of physical activity.

The campaign is entitled “Healthy U,” which is a sub-campaign under Healthy

Alamance. There will be a website set up just for the campaign that will contain information

both about Healthy Alamance, and “Healthy U.” There will also be brochures and flyers created

to inform the community. These educational pieces will have information for all age groups in

hopes of targeting multiple audiences. They will also outline physical activities, smart eating

patterns and mechanisms to change from unhealthy to healthy living patterns. Similarly to how

Healthy Alamance is set up now, “Healthy U” will list community partners whose mission is to

promote healthy lifestyles.


“Healthy U” was constructed to have the feeling of a learning institution, such as

“Healthy University.” It was abbreviated to “U” to feel more personal and inclusive. This

method is the most engaging and educating, which is the goal of the campaign. The website will

be colorful and interactive to help with making the education interesting. This all contributes to

the campaign’s theme of promoting healthy life choices.

CONTRIBUTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS

Healthy Alamance aspires to become a portal for all community health initiatives for the

people of Alamance County. April Durr sees the organization as an overarching umbrella that

encompasses all health issues within Alamance County. To achieve this ambition, Durr wants

Healthy Alamance to create a healthy movement throughout the county, receive buy-in and

support from the community, and provide community members with the information they need

so that they may make educated decisions about their health and lifestyles.

Our campaign serves to support Healthy Alamance by combining all of the organization’s

goals into one cohesive and comprehensive plan. With the primary goals of gaining community

support and raising awareness through education, the “Healthy U” campaign plan works to

validate the Healthy Alamance mission. The educational component is the main focus of the

“Healthy U” campaign, which directly relates back to Healthy Alamance’s aim to provide

community members with the information necessary for them to make informed decisions about

their health.

The ideal result of our campaign is to reduce Alamance County’s obesity rate by five

percent by the next two Community Health Assessments, which will take place in seven years

total (one takes place every four years). We want to create a self-sustaining campaign so that

results will continue to be seen throughout the years. Our goal for “Healthy U” is to educate


community members and to ultimately work to continuously decrease the obesity rate in

Alamance County for years to come.

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVE

Based on our various surveys, the common perception of our respondents is that

Alamance County has an obesity issue. In order to validate this perception, one of our objectives

is to lower the obesity rate described in the Alamance Community Assessment by 5 percent over

seven years.

Alamance County residents also need to be educated about the obesity issue. Our

objective is that within one year, we aim to have 45 percent of local residents surveyed to report

that they want to address the obesity problem in Alamance County.

We believe that one way to reduce the obesity rate in Alamance County is to encourage

people to be active with their families. Our objective is that within one year, we want 10 percent

of local residents surveyed to report that they participate and engage in healthy activities as a

family.

We will determine if our objectives were met by re-administering surveys to Alamance

County residents within the year. If our objectives are met, we will set higher goals to further

educate local residents about the obesity problem with the intention of getting them involved to

change the perception of Alamance County being an area with an obesity issue. If we do not

meet our goals, we will re-evaluate our objectives and make appropriate changes to achieve

those goals.

Healthy U: Strategy 45

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Obesity is an extremely common issue throughout the country, and specifically in North

Carolina. In conducting a campaign to combat the effects of obesity in Alamance County, it was

necessary to develop strategies. Through these strategies, we are able to target the appropriate

publics to educate them about healthy activities.

In general, we focused on households when we developed our strategies.

We want families to engage in healthy activities as a whole and in turn, our campaign

strategies are focused on parents, children and the combination of parents and children. For

parents, the new Healthy Alamance website, Healthy U will educate them about healthy living

habits as well as healthy activities to do with their families and other county residents. To target

children, we will use the Alamance County school system to create a partnership among

teachers, parents and students. This partnership will enable connectivity and create a sense of

accountability for the parties involved to follow through with the healthy activities provided by

Healthy U. To target both parents and children, we will distribute Healthy U flyers at parks as

well as develop a partnership with restaurants to include Healthy U menu highlights on their

menus. We hope that these strategies will initiate conversation between children and their

parents about healthy activities.

PUBLICS ADDRESSED BY THE PLAN

Healthy U’s main target audience is families who have elementary school children. The

word family is incredibly broad, yet can be defined in the following ways:

• Traditional families

• Mother, father, and children –still married

• Non-Traditional Families


• Divorced

• Separated

• LGBT

• Single parent

• Family member/guardian dependent households

Also, all of the above descriptions of families can exist either as a blood related family or

as an adoptive or foster family.

These families, although different, could not be more similar when it comes to caring for

their children. They all have common needs and desires for their families and that is what makes

this group of individuals such a great audience for Healthy Alamance. If the target public cares,

or has the potential to care (because of the perceived benefit to those they care about), about a

cause, then they are more likely to adopt the programs and initiatives.

Families are also a great audience for Healthy Alamance because there are a variety of

ways they can be reached. Either the children can receive the message and pass it on to the

parents or vice versa. The Healthy U campaign will give opportunities for parents and children

to get active and learn to cook together, because learning to be healthy benefits both groups. If

children learn from their parents to eat healthy, then it will likely become a life-long habit. The

same idea for the parents - if they feed their children healthier foods, then they will likely keep

doing it for the benefit of their children.


STRATEGIES

In order to successfully execute the Healthy U campaign, we have developed specific

strategies to directly target each public. In general, the campaign is focused around families with

young children. We want to promote households engaging in healthy activities as a unit, so the

campaign includes strategies that are individually focused on children, parents and the

combination of children and adults.

The strategies of the campaign are:

• To create a multi-faceted communications campaign to educate and raise awareness

about the topic of obesity.



Traditional Families

Husband and wife with children

Non-Traditional

Families

Divorced

Separated

LGBT

Single Parents

Family member/Legal

Guardian






These strategies will help Healthy Alamance reach out to the community and engage

them both as individuals, and as families.

Multi-faceted Communications Campaign

Young children are often not responsible for their food choices, which means that their

parents must be educated about the health needs of their children. In order to enact changes in

the healthy habits of children, the parents must be targeted with specific and personal

information.

One of the best ways to reach adults in Alamance County is through a multi-faceted

communications campaign. In our research, we found that not all members of the community

have or consult the Internet for their news and information, and others do not read newspapers

for their news. In order to reach the community as a whole, the campaign would have to

implement different forms of media to be effective. By creating a standard multimedia campaign

Healthy Alamance would miss contact with part of the community, and the same goes for a

traditional print campaign. The best strategy would combine the best of both styles and pick

tactics that would efficiently utilize them to their fullest potential.

This specific strategy will help change perceptions of obesity and help educate

community members about how to live healthier lives. By implementing this strategy, the


community will have access to all of the information that they need to make necessary changes

in their lives.

Partnership with the Burlington School District

We believe the most efficient way to target Alamance County children is through the

school system. We would especially like to utilize a partnership between the teachers, parents

and students for maximum connectivity to our overall theme of education through “Healthy U.”

We believe that this integrated relationship will help foster a sense of accountability between

each party involved to follow through with the provided healthy activities. Through exciting the

children about such healthy initiatives, they will be more likely to share the information with

their parents.

Educating children is the way to help change Alamance County’s future. Through this

partnership, Healthy Alamance will have access to thousands of children and provide them with

the information they need to become healthier. This will help provide the framework for future

generations of healthy living and also give parents the initiatives they need to implement these

healthy changes.

This strategy will give parents the essential information that they need in order to make

informed decisions in terms of living healthy. Also, having the information coming from the

schools will also show parents how important the issue of obesity is.

Partnership with Community Businesses

Some strategies of our campaign can target both children and their parents.

Implementing a partnership between local restaurants and Healthy Alamance could lend itself to

decreasing the overall obesity problem in the county. Through this partnership, families eating


out at restaurants may come to recognize their unhealthy habits and can work harder to lead

healthier lifestyles within their family units.

In addition to helping families eat healthier, these partnerships may also help change the

perception of obesity and how prevalent it is in the community. In time, these businesses could

change their menus and portion sizes to reflect their dedication to their partnership with Healthy

Alamance and their role in tackling obesity. If more businesses did that, it would have an even

greater impact on the obesity rate in the county.

Establish a Presence through Engagement

Engagement is a great way to get the community involved and also to start the healthy

living process. If community members are not able to see how easy the process and change

could be, it will never motivate them to do it. Through community engagement, Healthy

Alamance will gain a stronger presence because of their willingness to help out community

members.

Building a presence within the community is important, because it establishes credibility.

The more credibility an organization has, the more willing people will be to listen and receive

information and messages.

OBSTACLES

The first obstacle that may arise when focusing on parents circles around the issue of

importance. Many adults in Alamance County work, and feel as though feeding unhealthy foods

to their families is a proper substitute for lack of time. As a result of this problem, Healthy

Alamance has potential to lose money on an unsuccessful attempt. This could be avoided by

comparing how long it may take an individual to drive out of their way to a fast food restaurant,


versus making the recipe at home. With the calorie application, having exact instructions on

how it works may make people feel more comfortable and more likely to use it.

Obstacles surrounding children go hand-in-hand with those of their parents. Kids will not

understand the importance of the health matter without being reminded by the adults they look

up to. If schools send home information for the kids and their parents, without being told what to

do, kids will pay no attention to the information. This could result in families being turned off

by the name “Healthy Alamance,” if it is seen as junk mail. To avoid these obstacles, any

information sent home should include a signature by a parent, and an activity to complete by the

child.

In addition, lack of funding or resources may prevent Healthy Alamance from reaching

its goals and objectives. If there isn’t enough money to create printed materials for the

communications campaign, then there will be an inadequate distribution of information. This

could mean that members of the community who really need to receive the message will not.

This could hinder the amount of materials that are sent out into the community, ultimately

limiting the amount of communication with them as well.

Also, not having enough staff can hinder how often and what messages are sent out to the

public. If there is not enough communication with the community, then there will not be a

significant presence in order for Healthy Alamance to connect with these members of the

community.

Healthy U: Tactics 52

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In creating our campaign, it was necessary to develop tactics to help change Alamance

County residents’ perception of health. Our plan is to raise awareness of the prevalent obesity

issue in the area. By doing this, people in the community will realize the changes they need to

make to avoid serious health problems in the future.

Within the first year of the Healthy U campaign, our objective is for 45 percent of local

residents surveyed to report that they want to address the obesity issue in the county. Another

objective we hope to accomplish within the first year is for 10 percent of local residents surveyed

to report that they participate in healthy activities as a family. By educating Alamance County

citizens about the obesity problem, our plan is that they will recognize the severity of the

problem and want to address it. We believe that if county residents become active in resolving

the problem, such as participating in healthy activities recommended by the Healthy U website,

then as a result we will have a great chance to achieve our main long-term objective of

decreasing the obesity rate outlined by Alamance County Community Health Assessment by five

percent.

OBJECTIVES

For our specific Healthy U campaign, we first want to change the community members’

perception of health. Within seven years, our goal is to have the obesity rate as outlined in the

next Alamance County Community Health Assessment lowered by five percent. Raising

awareness of obesity as a prevalent issue in the county will help community members to realize

that changes must be made in order to prevent the future deterioration of their health.

To reach this goal, the Healthy U campaign will focus on reaching the following

objectives, strategies, and tactics:


Community Education


topic of obesity.





Community Awareness




obesity.






o Family Fun Day

We chose community education, awareness and engagement as the campaign’s

objectives, because the community needs to be aware of their choices and the impact that they

are making on their families’ lives. To accomplish these, it is necessary for leaders within the


community to join the movement and spread a cohesive plan of action. Once the healthy

initiatives are rooted among the community members, it will be easier and more appealing for a

larger network of people to become actively involved in the movement toward a healthier

population.

Building upon the idea of raising awareness, we also want our communication effort to

educate citizens on health and health-related issues. Within one year, our objective is to have 45

percent of local residents surveyed to report that they want to address the obesity problem in

Alamance County. Although one of the first steps to making a change is recognizing the

problem, there is no way that Healthy Alamance can accomplish Durr’s goal of having

community buy-in and support if the people are not educated about the issue or committed to

taking the initiative to make a difference.

Finally, we want our Healthy U campaign to encourage families to engage in healthy

initiatives as a household unit. Within one year, we aim to have 10 percent of local residents

surveyed to report that they participate in healthy activities as a family. Children are often not

responsible for making choices regarding their lifestyles, whether it be diet or exercise, so it is

vital for parents to pass along healthy habits to their children. Through making healthy living a

family activity, it becomes more enjoyable while also holding others accountable for their

choices. Engaging families in healthy initiatives also instills beneficial habits in children that

will stay with them as they mature, leading to healthier future generations.

The overall objectives of changing perceptions, increasing education and encouraging

family participation all relate back to Durr’s goals of creating a countywide movement with buy-

in and support from all citizens. Each of these steps must be taken in order to create a healthier

community for the future. Through focusing on these key objectives, our ”Healthy Alamance,


Healthy U” campaign will successfully target the citizens of Alamance County and motivate

them to lead healthier lifestyles.

In order to reach these objectives, we want to implement a multi-faceted communications

campaign, develop partnerships with the Burlington school district and local restaurants, and to

engage the community by providing and promoting healthy living opportunities. These

strategies will help the community realize the current state of the county and help change

behaviors. Each of these strategies reaches the community directly and provides information

through popular, well-traveled areas such as restaurants. The tactics that we have selected also

help to meet the objectives and the overall goal of reducing the obesity rate in the county.

PROPOSALS FOR MEETING TACTICS

ONLINE MATERIALS:

Website and Social Media: Educating the Community

By creating a website and utilizing social media, Durr will be able to provide relevant and

accurate information to the community. These outlets will have the responsibility for becoming

the health portal for Healthy Alamance and healthier living in Alamance County. The website

and Facebook pages are meant to educate the community about the issue of obesity and provide

ways to change perceptions and behaviors.


Healthy Alamance, Healthy U Website (Appendix C)


The new Healthy Alamance website, which will operate under the Healthy U umbrella,

will be targeted mainly to the adult members of the family. This website will have all of the

information about all of the other aspects of Healthy Alamance’s existing programs (tobacco use,

substance abuse) while adding more content to the Health and Wellness portion of it. Here,

people can find information and tips for healthy living that will really motivate people to

implement it into everyday life. The website will also have a section for healthy recipes that are

easy to make. This will help get the whole family involved in the process, while teaching

children about the foods they are making and what is in them. Also, the site will have links to

store coupons in order to help healthy cooking become more accessible to everyone. This new

website is aligned with our overall campaign goals because of its educational nature: it will serve

as a portal through which the organization can provide its adult audience with information about

healthy living. By putting this information directly in the hands of the target audience, we

believe parents will be inspired to challenge their families to become healthier together.

This website will connect to the already existing Facebook page and it will serve as an

events page and discussion board for the community. By providing this, Durr will be able to

communicate directly with residents, as well as hear what they need and have to say. This can

help provide better service for the community and give them the opportunity to feel like they are

being heard and are able to share their opinions. This will also give an opportunity to advertise

new advancements and events in the community, which will be very cost effective.


PRINTED MATERIALS:

School Assignments and Take Home Materials: Educating the Community

In addition to the website and Facebook, written materials will help extend the reach to

the community. In order to help change family behavior, it is necessary to show both students

and parents the severity of the issue. If the information comes from the school, it is able to get

directly to the parents and instantly has credibility. Materials such as take home information

sheets will help educate both parents and students about obesity and provide ways to change

habits or behaviors.

Based on this, Healthy Alamance should partner with local school systems to create a

written information sheet that they will take home to their parents to sign each month. By doing

this, the children can get extra credit in their classes which will help create a buy-in between

teachers and parents. If the teachers believe in the content and message enough, they could

assign other assignments that promote projects such as “healthy living journals.” These activities

can help influence healthy behaviors at a younger age, while also showing parents how important

it is for developing children.

These assignments are meant to teach children the importance it is to be healthy, while

also showing parents that they should take initiative in teaching their children. This partnership

with the school district will also get children to live healthy lifestyles earlier in life, for many

generations to come.


School Take Home Materials (Appendix D)

Back to School, where Being Fit is COOL!

On Saturday:Take your family on

a special trip!Who can get around the

path at Beth Schmidt Park the fastest?

Make it a race, and let the winner

pick out what game to play at night! Ready, Set, Go!

Try these fun things with your family this weekend!

On Friday:Make dinner with

your family!This soup is yummy for everyone, and it only

takes 20 minutes to make!

Go to http://healthyalamance.

wordpress.com/ with your parents for the recipe! Get cooking!

Our family did this!Parent/Guardian Signature: ________________________________Student Signature: ________________________________

For more information on health and fitness, visit http://healthyalamance.wordpress.com/


Fliers and Advertisements: Bringing Community Awareness

Other printed items such as flyers and newspaper information advertisements will really

help spread the word about healthy living around the community where Internet is not available.

These materials are meant to spread awareness of Healthy Alamance and their online presence.

These flyers could be placed in gyms, community centers (such as the YMCA), parks, or

in churches to help reach the greater community. These places are also incredibly family

oriented which will help promote the idea of a fuller, healthier family lifestyle. By offering

membership discounts, easy family-friendly healthy recipes, or calendars of local family events

coming up through the parks and recreation department, parents can incorporate healthy

initiatives into all facets of their households. Also, the Healthy U flyers and brochures will help

in initiating a conversation between parents and their children about what it takes to live a

healthy lifestyle.

Another valuable print outlet to Healthy Alamance would be the Burlington-Times News,

because they have a wider audience and are visible all around the county. With the small budget

that Healthy Alamance currently has, it would be possible to get a monthly advertisement in the

paper or a monthly insert that features “fun facts,” recipes and event information. Since Healthy

Alamance is a non-profit organization, the newspaper will give discounted rates with proof of the

organization’s non-profit standing. This “Healthy U” section of the paper will provide a wide

variety of information that pertains to parents who want to facilitate a healthier lifestyle for their

families. Our research found that many residents of Alamance County get their news from the

newspaper, so this would be an appropriate way to reach out to our target audience.


Gym Flyer (Appendix E)


Times-News Ad (Appendix F)


One of our recommendations to include when there is more funding would be to add a

billboard in some of the areas that are highly traveled. The board could be used to announce

Healthy U as an extension of Healthy Alamance, so people would recognize the logos and the

relationships they have. The board should be used more for brand recognition and should remain

simple and uncluttered so it does not distract drivers.

Healthy U Menu Items: Bringing Community Awareness

One other option for Healthy Alamance would be to partner with local restaurants and get

a “Healthy U” section in the menu. This could be a small logo on the menu next to healthier

items or freestanding “table tent cards” that list information similar to what is on the fliers. The

idea can even be expanded to include coloring sheets with a healthy theme for the children to

look at during their meal, if there is more funding. These materials would help promote the local

businesses and restaurants in the area and show that they are aware of the obesity problem in the

area and what to help.

The healthy items will show diners that eating out can be both healthy and satisfying.

Changing behavior is difficult, but showing people that even modifying behaviors, such as

choosing healthier entrees or taking half of the portion home, can make all the difference.


Table Tent (Appendix G)


Family Fun Day: Engaging the Community

In the event that Healthy Alamance receives more funding or community donations, we

suggest hosting a community “Family Fun Day” type of event. An event is perfect for

implementing change and getting the community involved in healthy living. This event can

show how much fun and how easy it is for families to make even the smallest changes to their

lifestyles.

Family Fun Day can be held at a different local park every year and have activities like a

healthy food cook-off; races, sports or other family events; local farmers markets and vendors;

and bouncy castles or other fun activities for children. The event will provide residents with

ideas of how to get families active, while promoting Healthy Alamance and the idea of healthy

living. It also gives community members a chance to interact with one another, which can lead

to future group events and gatherings. This will also help get residents acquainted the local

parks and the vendors that live in the area. Again, this could only take place after Healthy

Alamance raised more funds, but it is something for the organization to consider for the future,

as it would incorporate all aspects of the anti-obesity campaign into one successful event.

OBSTACLES

Problems may surface when trying to carry out the tactics. The first one, changing the

community members’ perception of health, will be difficult if individuals first do not realize that

there is a health issue. Similarly, it is important that people understand if they are not living a

healthy lifestyle. Reading the information will be beneficial, but if the public cannot understand

whom it targets, the issue may not get resolved. To prevent this from happening, health statistics

could be added on any information provided, such as flyers, posters and advertisements. If there


is a spot that outlines some of the signs of being unhealthy, it will help educate the intended

audience.

Encouraging families to engage in healthy initiatives as a household means installing a

large behavioral change. Since the obesity issue is so prevalent, it can be assumed that many

families choose not to be active when there is free time available. Having them change from an

inactive schedule to an active one will be extremely difficult. Also, providing adults with recipes

may not remedy the situation if they are not cooking in the first place.

Some families might also feel that it they have to drive to a location, the cost of gas will

not be worth it. If this initiative is successfully able to reach individuals, it is hard to ensure that

the behavior will pass down through generations. To avoid this obstacle, public transportation

should be used to accommodate all citizens. The Elon Bio Bus is an extremely cheap way to

travel and could be used as a form of transportation for citizens who otherwise could not afford

it. In order to get families excited about being active, the events should interest every age group

with something for everyone to do. This way the parents and their kids will not see it as a waste

of time.

In addition, if Healthy Alamance inserts advertisements into the newspaper, this may not

assist the issue of awareness. Families as a whole will experience obstacles different than the

children and adults experience separately. Many citizens will overlook the ad as a whole without

a reason to be interested. At gyms, members are constantly distracted by advertisements and

flyers. It may be a method that is overused and no longer effective. Again, Healthy Alamance

runs the risk of losing money in this attempt. To ensure this does not happen, interesting facts or

pictures could be added to the paper to draw attention.

Finally, Healthy U meals on a restaurant table will provide good ideas for healthy meals.

However, children will not select the healthy meal if they have the chance to choose something


higher in sugar or fat content. It is the parents’ responsibility to encourage healthy choices. If

the options were targeted towards children, using fun and creative shapes, it could help avoid this

obstacle.

Healthy U: Budget 68

BUDGET

• Newspaper Advertisements o Burlington Times News: Quarter page advertisement

Our Suggestion: Once a week on Saturdays - $99 for one color Additional Options:

• Monday through Friday - $165 per day for black and white • Once a week on Saturdays - $559 for three colors

• Website Options o Our Suggestion: Wordpress (free)

To maintain the website, use student volunteers from Elon University • Work study students or through Service Learning partnership

o GoDaddy Domain Name: $11.99 for one year, or $12.89 for 10 years Basic Plan: $4.14 per month for 36 months

• Total: $149.04 Upgrade Plan: $5.94 per month for 36 months

• Total: $213.84 o Bluehost:

$6.95 per month for 36 months • Total: $250.20

o Wix: $12.42 per month (free, custom domain)

• Printing Costs – International Minute Press o Brochures – for community events, partnerships

$622.34 for 1,000 o Flyers – distribute through gyms, parks, schools

$431.11 for 1,000 • Community Event

o TCS Rentals 6 foot round tables - $12 each

• For 20 tables - $240 total Folding chairs - $1.25 each

• For 200 chairs - $250 total o Barbeque Lunch

Donated by local restaurants o If more money was raised:

Premier Special Event Services • 30’ x 60’ Future Lite Frame Tent - $1,170 plus tax

Alamance County Fire Marshall Permit - $25

Healthy U: Budget 69

Activities Item Cost Quantity Total Cost

Website

Healthy U Wordpress

Website

$0

1

$0

Times-News

Ad

¼ page monthly

advertisement

$99 (1 color)

12

$1,188

Brochures

Healthy U Brochures

1,000

$622.34

Flyers

Healthy U Seasonal

Flyers

1,000

$431.11

Tables

6ft Round

Tables

$12

20

$240

Chairs

Folding Chairs

$1.25

200

$250

Food

Barbeque

Lunch

Donated

For 150 people

$0

Starting Budget

$3,000

Estimated Operating Costs $2,731.45

Remaining Funds $268.55

Healthy U: Timetable 70














SCHEDULE Campaign Kickoff:

• Monday, September 10, 2012 New Website Release:

• Monday, September 10, 2012 “Healthy U” highlights on area restaurant menus:

• September 10, 2012 – September 6, 2013 Community Event:

• Saturday, April 13, 2013 10 AM-2 PM • Planning for event will start Monday, October 29, 2012

Monthly Newspaper Ads: First Saturday of every month

• September 15, 2012 • October 6, 2012 • November 3, 2012 • December 8, 2012 • January 5, 2013 • February 2, 2013 • March 2, 2013 • April 6, 2013 • May 4, 2013 • June 8, 2013 • July 6, 2013 • August 3, 2013 • September 7, 2013

Once a month take-home flyers for elementary schools: First Friday of every month

• September 14, 2012 • October 5, 2012 • November 2, 2012 • December 7, 2012 • January 4, 2013 • February 1, 2013 • March 1, 2013 • April 5, 2013 • May 3, 2013 • June 7, 2013 • July 5, 2013 • August 2, 2013 • September 6, 2013


Flyers: • First seasonal flyers placed in The Rush, Gold’s Gym and YMCA from September 10,

2012 to November 10, 2012. • Second seasonal flyers placed in The Rush, Gold’s Gym and YMCA from November 11,

2012 to February 11, 2013 • Third seasonal flyers placed in The Rush, Gold’s Gym and YMCA from February 12,

2013 to April 12, 2013. • Fourth seasonal flyer from April 13, 2013 to August 13, 2013. • Recreation flyers put up at Beth Schmidt Park, Cedarock Park, Great Bend Rock, Eli

Whitney Community Center and Pleasant Grove Community Center on September 30, 2012.

Healthy U: Evaluation 85

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

To evaluate the success of the Healthy U campaign, the organization’s goals in addition

to the objectives of the campaign must be taken into account. Once it is determined if these were

effective, the strategies and tactics of the campaign will be modified as necessary. In order for

the campaign to be as successful as possible, it is important to set both short-term and long-term

measures for success.

One of the main goals of Healthy Alamance is to get the community to buy into their

strategies and participate in the activities designed to reduce the obesity rate in Alamance

County. The Healthy U campaign’s main objectives were to change the perception of what is

healthy and to educate families about the obesity problem in Alamance County. All of the

different tactics that Healthy U used to distribute information about the campaign, such as the

Healthy Alamance website, flyers and brochures, would need to be evaluated to determine if they

reached the targeted publics which are parents, children, and families.

In order to evaluate our goals, we will use the next two Alamance County Health

Assessments to determine if the obesity rate has decreased by our established goal of five

percent. We will also look at community participation statistics for recreational events as well as

conduct surveys to gain a better understanding of the public opinion about our anti-obesity

campaign. While we do not expect to see immediate results in the next few years, we believe

that our goals are realistic and achievable over the next seven years.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

In order to evaluate the success of the campaign, both the goals of the organization and

the objectives of the campaign have to be taken into account, and that will determine if the

strategies and tactics need to be modified in order to make the most successful campaign


possible. The goals that Healthy Alamance wanted to pursue were to increase community buy-in

and to ultimately reduce the obesity rate in Alamance County. Community buy-in is incredibly

important to the success of a campaign. If the audience is not receiving the message, then the

strategies or tactics may have to be modified or eliminated to fit their needs. For example, the

campaign may be underutilizing resources in certain areas of the county, which would require

that area would receive more resources in order to reach their audience. The overall reduction in

obesity for Alamance County is dependent on every aspect of the campaign working to its fullest

potential. It is also dependent on community buy-in and adoption of healthier habits.

The “Healthy U” campaign has three main objectives: changing perception of health;

educating residents about the obesity problem; and getting families engaged together in healthy

activities. In order to do that, the campaign would focus on different strategies such as finding

ways to get both parents and children involved in living healthier lives together. This would

include finding ways to gain both the children’s and the parents’ attention by using similar yet

individualized tactics. Each tactic will need to be evaluated individually relating to their specific

target of parents, children, or both groups. For example, the Healthy Alamance menu items may

not appeal to children, so you may have to appeal more to adults and help them make healthy

decisions for their children as well.

The website is critical to spreading information about Healthy Alamance and healthy

living. It has a wide reach, much wider than most of the other tactics, and it also has the ability

to share much more information. The website is a cost effective way to keep residents informed,

while educating them on the proper ways to live healthier. The Healthy Alamance Facebook

page is also incredibly helpful to residents for many of the same reasons. For these tactics to be

successful, it would require community involvement. This includes an increase in visits to the

website and Facebook page and increased conversation on the Facebook page (increases in both


responding to Healthy Alamance posts and communication between community members).

Positive comments from community members will increase the validity and believability of

Healthy Alamance and healthy living.

The written materials (flyers, brochures) would be placed in locations such as gyms and

parks. The success of these tactics will rely on residents actually visiting these areas, because

they want to adopt a healthier lifestyle. These materials are meant to inform the community

about Healthy Alamance and provide additional education about healthy living. Other written

outlets, such as a monthly advertisement or column in local newspapers are meant to attract those

in need of adopting a healthier lifestyle. This outlet is vital for the members of the community

who do not use the Internet or at least prefer the idea of getting their information from

newspapers. Also, the monthly reminder that Healthy Alamance provides these services and

ideas is vital for continued community support. For children, getting the schools involved is

vital for their healthy development. Including assignments like healthy living journals for extra

credit will increase the interest in the assignment, which is needed in order to change behaviors.

Involving other local businesses is also incredibly important in gaining support from the

community. Having a Healthy Alamance sponsored healthy item menu at local restaurants can

help build a partnership with local businesses, which will help build a stronger sense of

community. Also, the healthy menu will help promote the idea that eating healthy can be done

while eating out as well. Another tactic to build a sense of community is the “family fun day”

event that would help bring healthy living directly to the community. This event will help create

a direct connection to the community and will allow them to see how present Healthy Alamance

is in the county. It will also get the community involved in healthy activities that will allow

them to see how much fun and how easy being healthy can be. This would also be incredibly

important to get the community active and show them park locations around the county.


Each one of these tactics is vital to the adoption of healthy living practices and behavior

change. Without a wide variety of tactics there could be a large portion of the community who

would not receive the message. Evaluating each tactic and strategy will allow the opportunity to

create a more successful campaign, the longer it goes on. All of these things will also help

Healthy Alamance figure out how to best reach the community and get the message out. By

using its name in each of these tactics, there will be an increase in community recognition.

Having this recognition can help Healthy Alamance reach their goals and become a well-known

community organization. The success of the campaign will be determined by the achievement of

our objectives.

METHOD

In order to evaluate the success of the Healthy U campaign, we have outlined many

potential follow-up initiatives. We intend on using the subsequent two Alamance County

Community Health Assessments, statistics on community members’ participation in recreational

events and follow-up surveys to gauge Alamance County community members’ response to our

anti-obesity campaign. Although we do not expect to generate significant results for a few years,

we think it would be best to implement these evaluations every year in order to track progress

and determine if and where the campaign needs to be adjusted.

Our initial objectives were estimated through the results of the 2011 Alamance County

Community Health Assessment. Occurring every three years, this countywide report provides

detailed accounts of the health status of community members. Since our initial numbers were

based off of the most recent assessment, we would like to compare the Healthy U campaign with

the results of the succeeding health assessments. By the next two county health assessments, we


would like to decrease the obesity rate in Alamance County by five percent. This decrease will

be made possible through the various tactics of the Healthy U campaign.

We will also track our campaign’s success through community members’ participation

rates in recreational programs. To meet our objectives of awareness, education and family

engagement, we must not only track the general decrease in the county-wide obesity rates, but

also analyze the numbers of community members who are registering for healthy activities. It

would be beneficial to survey citizens who have registered in healthy initiatives since the start of

the Healthy U Campaign to determine what encouraged them to sign up. This method of

surveying can be accomplished through an alternating system of “check-ins” that we believe are

necessary to hold every year.

The point of such check-ins is to understand how the campaign is being successful and

how it could be repositioned to reach greater success. We propose alternating between focus

groups and simple interceptive surveys every year in the places where our strategies and tactics

will reach the most people. For example, we propose on distributing brochures and flyers in area

gyms, so one year after the start of our campaign, we will reevaluate the campaign with a follow-

up intercept survey. The following year, two years after the start of the campaign, we will

reevaluate with a focus group comprised of members of the gym. This process will hold true for

parks and recreational areas as well.

Our final method of evaluating the campaign’s success will be through follow-up

intercept surveys (see appendix). Since many our campaign objectives and strategies were

determined from our primary research, we believe it would be the most beneficial to gauge the

campaign’s progress through the same type of surveys. Similar to the initial survey that we

administered to community members at Alamance Crossing, this secondary survey would

include questions about the general state of obesity within the county. These questions will be


used to track the progress of the general change in perceptions within the county. Additionally,

the follow-up survey will ask questions about the effects of the Healthy U campaign specifically,

such as: “What kind of changes, if any, have you seen in the last year that encouraged you to

become more active?” Questions such as this will determine if our campaign is reaching our

target audiences.

The audience for such surveys may in fact be a random group of people, depending on

where we administer the intercepts, however that may be a desired population for us to survey.

We began the campaign with few specific audiences in mind, so it would be beneficial for us to

compare these results with a similarly random population. Yet we also want to reach the

families of Alamance County, since they are our primary target audience. We will be able to

evaluate the successes of our Healthy U campaign through comparing the data we gathered

before the start of the campaign with these follow-up statistics.

ANALYSIS

“Healthy U” will be evaluated following the presentation to its publics. Data regarding

audience attitudes and responses are a top priority in compiling the information. This is one

piece to determine whether the campaign is a success or failure. After the data is collected

following the campaign launch, it is used to make revisions to benefit the campaign. One way to

determine if the campaign is a success or failure is distributing surveys regarding awareness after

the “Healthy U” release. The answers to this survey can be contrasted with the answers to the

original survey, which asked if individuals had heard of Healthy Alamance.

Another method to analyze the success of the campaign is examining the next two

Community Health Assessments every three years to see if the percentage statistics regarding

obesity have decreased. If this proves to be true, this is one way to show that Healthy Alamance


has increased its awareness. These are two ways in which the campaign is analyzed after its

launch. The changes are used to reposition it for the future.

The data collected might prove to be exclusive to some regions over others in its reach

across the county. Many of the strategies only extend into Burlington since that is where the

campaign is headquartered. It will have to be extended into other parts of Alamance County.

One helpful software program to assist in analysis is Google Analytics. This program would

allow for Healthy Alamance to gather statistics on the use of their website, or any related

websites. Google Analytics can track how users find the website, how long they stay on the site,

and to where they navigate. If this tool was used, Healthy Alamance could more strategically

invest its money into proper advertising. A full analysis of the campaign will be completed and

repositioning will occur as necessary to better Healthy Alamance for the future.

Healthy U: Conclusion & Summary 92

CONCLUSION & SUMMARY

The Healthy U campaign will focus on reaching the following objectives, strategies, and

tactics:

Community Education


topic of obesity.





Community Awareness




obesity.






o Family Fun Day

The main purpose of the Healthy U campaign is to change Alamance County community

members’ perception of health. If our goal is not met within the projected seven years, we will

reevaluate what should be modified in order to reach success. The campaign’s success will be

Healthy U: Conclusion & Summary 93

measured by the attainment of our aforementioned objectives and strategies. The most important

element of our campaign is an increase in community awareness of the problem of obesity,

which we believe will lead to community buy-in and support of this initiative. This goal aligns

with the overall goal of Healthy Alamance according to April Durr, which is for the organization

to become a portal through which citizens of Alamance County can receive information about

healthy living. All aspects of the Healthy U campaign are aligned with the goals and mission of

Healthy Alamance, so that each can benefit the other and aid to its development.

Healthy U: Appendix A 1



Healthy U: Appendix B

Primary Research Survey

Healthy U: Appendix C 1

Website 1

Healthy U: Appendix C 2

Website 2

Healthy U: Appendix D

School Take-Home

Back to School, where Being Fit is COOL!

On Saturday:Take your family on

a special trip!Who can get around the

path at Beth Schmidt Park the fastest?

Make it a race, and let the winner

pick out what game to play at night! Ready, Set, Go!

Try these fun things with your family this weekend!

On Friday:Make dinner with

your family!This soup is yummy for everyone, and it only

takes 20 minutes to make!

Go to http://healthyalamance.

wordpress.com/ with your parents for the recipe! Get cooking!

Our family did this!Parent/Guardian Signature: ________________________________Student Signature: ________________________________

For more information on health and fitness, visit http://healthyalamance.wordpress.com/

Healthy U: Appendix E

Gym Flyer

Healthy U: Appendix F

Times-News Ad

Healthy U: Appendix G

Restaurant Table Tent

Healthy U: Appendix H

Park Flyer

Healthy U: Appendix I

Follow-Up Evaluation Survey

1. How many times a week do you eat at fast food restaurants?

2. Why do you choose to eat at these restaurants rather than

cook at home?

3. When you have free time, do you choose to be active (go for a

walk, go to the park) or stay inside?

4. What do you do with your family on the weekends?

5. Do you feel there is an obesity issue in Alamance County?

6. Have you heard of Healthy Alamance?

7. Have you recently taken part in any new healthy initiatives?

8. What have you seen in the past year or so that convinced you

to engage in healthy activities?

9. Where do you get your primary source of news?

10. Male or Female?

11. How long have you lived in Alamance County?

12. Age?

Documents

Healthy Alamance: Healthy U Strategic Campaign