Promoting participation in physical activity in a community intervention study

Abstract

Issue addressed This paper examines the effectiveness of a promotion campaign that was one component of a community intervention project to increase participation in physical activity. Methods The project was undertaken in one local government area in western Sydney, New South Wales, and included a control and intervention ward. The promotion campaign consisted of articles and a paid advertisement in local newspapers, the distribution of walking maps to households in the intervention ward, project signs erected in three local parks, and an official project launch in the intervention ward. Awareness of the promotional campaign was measured by a telephone survey of residents in the intervention and control wards before and after the implementation of the project. Results Awareness of information about walking and cued recall of the project slogan increased significantly at follow‐up in both intervention and control ward respondents. However, at followup, compared with the control ward, intervention ward respondents were more aware of all project activities (including seeing or hearing information about walking groups and about local parks, and recall of having received a walking map). Respondents had most commonly heard about the project through local newspapers and direct mail. Conclusions The promotion strategies used in this project raised awareness of various aspects of the intervention among survey respondents although recall of the specific project slogan, even when cued, was poor. So what? Local promotional activities, especially coverage in local newspapers and direct mail, are a useful and effective means of raising awareness about local health promotion projects and activities.