Objective. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of a community education
campaign to encourage a switch from high-fat (whole and 2%) milk to milk t
o low-fat (1%,1/2%, and skim) milk as a way to reduce consumption of satura
ted fat.
Methods. Milk sales data were collected from supermarkets in the interventi
on and comparison communities for three one-month time periods: at baseline
, immediately following the campaign, and six months after the campaign. In
addition, trained volunteers conducted pre- and post-intervention telephon
e surveys.
Results. Overall milk sales increased by 16% in the intervention cities fol
lowing the campaign and remained high at follow-up. Low-fat milk's market s
hare increased from 18% of overall milk sales at baseline to 41% of overall
milk sales in the month following the end of the campaign, an increase in
market share that was sustained at the six-month follow-up, in the post-int
ervention telephone survey, 38.2% of those respondents who reported drinkin
g high-fat milk at baseline reported having switched to low-fat milk.
Conclusion. A focused message communicated through paid advertising, pubic
relations activities, and community-based education programs increased low-
fat and overall milk consumption in one community.