Process Evaluation and Participatory Methods in an Obesity-Prevention Media Campaign for Mexican Americans

Underprivileged Hispanics living along theU.S.–Mexico border, like other racial and eth-nic minorities and persons with limited incomes, have disproportionately high rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer as compared to Whites (Cowie et al., 2006; Mokdad et al., 2003; Ogden et al., 2006). In general, bio-logical (family history), environmental (inequalities in income and education levels), and behavioral (physical inactivity and poor nutrition habits) factors contribute to these differences in incidence and to mortality and survival rates. Along the Texas–Mexico border, preva-lence of obesity is higher than both state and national averages (Faraji, Sanderson, Flores, Mier, & Millard, 2004; Ogden et al., 2006). Being overweight and obese are highly correlated with T2D, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and some cancers and exacerbate the burden of other CHD risk factors (Mokdad et al., 2003; Must et al., 1999; U.S. Department of Health and To address obesity and related morbidities, community-based participatory research (CBPR) strategies were employed to design and evaluate a Spanish-language media campaign promoting physical activity and healthful food choices among Mexican Americans. Process evaluation including content analyses on types and focus of media messages was conducted. Focus groups assessed appeal and trustworthiness of messages. All media campaign products featured role models and experts. Campaign messages primarily (91%) appeared in TV morning show segments. Newsletters presented individual and family role model stories. A majority of newsletters (68%) were distributed through churches and “promotora ” outreach efforts. CBPR lends itself to the selection and tailoring of evi-dence-based media campaigns. Moreover, CBPR guid-ance resulted in media messages that were credible and appealing to audience. Process evaluation strategies that gather information from the community provide solid evidence for how to modify the campaign to best meet audience expectations