Social Marketing as a Strategy to Reduce Unintended Adolescent Pregnancy

Abstract

Recent research has shown that 82% of adolescent pregnancies are unintended. Social marketing has potential to reduce unintended adolescent pregnancy but its effectiveness in this area has not been thoroughly evaluated. This article reviews the literature on social marketing and assesses its potential to reduce unintended adolescent pregnancy. We identified five communication principles as relevant to adolescent reproductive health messaging: Countermarketing, making credible and likeable "arguments" for behavior change, use of theory-based models, social modeling and behavioral alternatives, and risk communication when the behavioral choices are clear. We examine studies of social marketing on other health risk behaviors and a case study of a recent campaign to promote parent-child communication about waiting to have sex. Findings suggest that to reduce unintended pregnancy and improve reproductive health outcomes among adolescents, there is a need for targeted prevention messages and social marketing approaches.

Factors influencing career maturity in the South African National Defence Force: A diagnostic approach

“…Social cognitive theory is based on the consequences of individual behaviour, observational learning and behavioural modelling (Evans, Silber-Ashley & Gard, 2007). Based on Bandura's social cognitive theory, Lent, Brown and Hackett (1994) developed a model for career counselling that emphasises personal participation in the career decision-making process, as well as the way in which external and internal factors influence the person in this process.…”

Análisis de los elementos de mercadeo social implícitos en campañas de prevención de embarazo en adolescentes

“…El mercadeo combina varios aspectos, como el producto, la comunicación, la plaza y el precio; en este caso, el producto es una idea centrada en un mecanismo de autoprotección que apela al autocontrol individual. Dicha idea se promueve con un plan de comunicación y de acciones orientadas a una población definida, en un contexto territorial determinado y a un costo implícito [6], que puede ser entendido como capacidad de controlar, evaluar y asumir consecuencias.…”

“…En Estados Unidos también existe la preocupación por el problema del embarazo adolescente. Por ello, se indagó por conocer la opinión de diferentes estamentos sobre las implicaciones del ejercicio de la sexualidad en la adolescencia, y se encontró que el 94 % de los adultos y el 92 % de los adolescentes estaban de acuer-do con que era importante que estos últimos reciban un mensaje de la sociedad sobre que no deben tener relaciones sexuales hasta que al menos hayan terminado la escuela secundaria [6]. Este estudio fue el detonante para que, en junio de 2007, se lanzara a nivel nacional la campaña "Parents Speak Up!…”

Effects of Media Campaign Messages Targeting Parents on Adolescent Sexual Beliefs

“…[25][26][27] More importantly, social marketing can provide access to health information among people with low income and low education, including adolescents most at risk of unintended pregnancy. 26 Although social marketing health promotion and research activities targeting adolescent health behaviors have been implemented successfully, 25,[27][28][29] few have used randomized designs. Furthermore, social marketing has only recently emerged as an approach to address adolescent reproductive health.…”

“…Furthermore, social marketing has only recently emerged as an approach to address adolescent reproductive health. 26 The current study examines a 1-year prospective randomized trial to evaluate messages from a parent-focused social marketing campaign. The Parents Speak Up National Campaign (PSUNC) promotes parent-child communication about waiting to have sex.…”