Achieving improvements in overall health orientation - Effects of campaignexposure information seeking, and health media use

Public health campaign success is conceptualized in terms of improvements i n three cardiovascular disease-related behaviors (diet, exercise, and smoki ng) and their precursors, including knowledge and self-efficacy. True cross -sectional data waves (baseline and sixth year, N = 4,214) from the Stanfor d Five-City Project (FCP) are analyzed to test a model of campaign influenc es. Exposure to FCP campaign messages is correlated with health information seeking and interpersonal communication, which in turn are correlated with health behaviors. The central premise of the model is then tested on a lon gitudinal sample (N = 1,225) over a 3-year period with similar results. An overall health orientation index is introduced and recommendations are made for enhancing public health campaign effectiveness.