Importance of the Built Environment
Changing Attitudes and Behaviors
- If we want to improve the health of the community, who are the stakeholders we need to influence?
- What are we trying to achieve?
- How can we best communicate with each target audience? (State and local government, policy makers, business owners, school staff, children of different ages, young adults, heads of household, elderly residents)
- What strategies should be employed?
- What has been shown to work?
Changing Student Beliefs and Behaviors
BUSPH students working under the supervision of Wayne LaMorte, a professor in the epidemiology department at BUSPH, completed two projects in collaboration with Weymouth Public Schools and the Weymouth Health Department.
How Cool Is That?
The goal of the first project, which began in 2002, was to reduce the initiation of tobacco use by children in Weymouth. This project had two phases. In the first phase Dr. LaMorte and two MPH students worked with five Weymouth High School students and a Weymouth health teacher on a semester long project to produce a 30-minute video to change student beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tobacco use. While the project was conducted by high school students, the target audience for the video was students who were 12-14 years old. We met with the high school students at least once a week and provided instruction on documentary film making, smoking issues, and models of behavioral change. We helped them develop a script and film interviews and collect relevant background information. Fortunately, we were able to enlist the help of Mary Heinrichs at WETC, the educational cable TV station in Weymouth. Mary and her assistant, Justine Warwick provided editing and background music and also shot some clever background scenes for us.
Watch the video and reflect on the methods used to influence student beliefs and attitudes about tobacco use. Compose a summary (300 words or less) of the methods used to change beliefs and attitudes. Include your assessment of the potential effectiveness of the video and your comments on how it could have been improved. In the second phase of the project Dr. LaMorte enlisted a team of six MPH students from BUSPH to work with twenty Weymouth high school student volunteer. The SPH students spent several weeks training the high school volunteers on tobacco issues and how to facilitate classroom discussions among young students. Upon completion of training we scheduled assemblies for 6th graders at each of the two middle schools in Weymouth. At each school the video was shown in the assembly, after which the 6th graders returned to their homerooms where they were met by two of the trained high school students who conducted an open discussion of the film and their attitudes about smoking. The discussions were conducted without teachers present. In all cases the overwhelming discussion was around how smoking is stupid and certainly doesn't benefit you. In essence, our goal was to reshape their "norm" about tobacco use.
Reflect on the utility of this intervention. What is your opinion of the strengths and weakness of this approach? How could this intervention have been improved? How would you assess the effectiveness of this intervention?
Just Think About It?
The second project, which began in 2008, was aimed at reducing drinking and driving among high school students. This video was undertaken with the help of MPH students working with a small group of Weymouth High School students. This video is only 10 minutes long.
Compare and contrast the two videos. How do the two videos differ with respect to the nature of the subject matter and the strategies used to shape attitudes? Does the subject matter of the second video limit the strategies for shaping attitudes?