Does Exposure to the Choose Water Campaign Increase Parental Intentions to Promote More Water and Less Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption?

To assess if exposure to the Choose Water public health media campaign increased parents’ intentions to promote healthier beverage consumption in their household.

A cross-sectional evaluation administered post-campaign.

A 2017 internet panel survey in Los Angeles County, California.

The survey included 499 parents of young children.

The Choose Water media campaign included digital media and out-of-home advertisements (eg, transit shelters, interiors of buses) in both English and Spanish.

Dichotomous outcome variables were parental intentions to give child(ren) (1) more water and (2) less sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in their households. The independent variable was campaign exposure, categorized as no exposure, exposed but did not discuss visual, and exposed and discussed visual with someone.

Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regressions.

Among those who were exposed and discussed a campaign visual, the adjusted odds of intending to promote water consumption were 2.82 times greater than for those who reported no exposure (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46-5.46). Similar odds to promote less sugar-sweetened beverage consumption were observed for those who were exposed and discussed a campaign visual (adjusted odds ratio: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.76-6.08). Those with the lowest educational attainment discussed the visual(s) less (10.5%).

Word of mouth may enhance health messaging by allowing time for intended audiences to process campaign content within their interpersonal network.