LEVERAGING SOCIAL NORMS: AN ANALYSIS OF EFFECTIVE HEALTH COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Abstract

Promoting healthy eating habits in children is imperative to combat the rising rates of childhood obesity. This study investigates the impact of persuasive health messages aimed at encouraging parents to provide nutritious food for their young children. The alarming increase in childhood obesity, associated with detrimental social, economic, and health consequences, underscores the urgency of this issue. In the United States, childhood obesity has reached nearly epidemic proportions, with obesity rates among children aged 6 to 11 years soaring from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. A parallel trend is observed among adolescents, with obesity rates escalating from 5% to almost 21% during the same period. This research assesses the effectiveness of persuasive health messages as a means to combat this pressing public health challenge.