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Millions of dollars have been spent on the design and dissemination of educational materials to improve handwashing to prevent infectious diseases. School-age children have been the focus of many of these efforts; yet little is known about the content of these materials. This study uses content analysis to examine the theoretical and motivational trends as well as the communication approach used in a sample of hand hygiene intervention materials targeting elementary-age children. Two trained coders analyzed 144 communication materials. Study results indicate that educational materials infrequently exhibit information consistent with theories of communication for behavior change, commonly use fear-based messaging, and rarely recommend using technology in the design of the interventions. Implications for future research and the design of more strategic, child-focused hand hygiene interventions are discussed.

Print HIV/AIDS prevention campaign materials (e.g., posters, pamphlets, stickers) from 10 public health organizations in Kenya were evaluated according to the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), a health behavior change theory based on the fear appeal literature, at various sites along the Trans-Africa Highway in Kenya. Three groups each of commercial sex workers (CSWs), truck drivers (TDs) and their assistants (ASSTs), and young men (YM) who live and work at the truck stops participated in focus group discussions where reactions to the campaign materials were gathered according to this theoretical base. Reactions to campaign materials varied substantially, according to the poster or pamphlet viewed. Overall, most participants wanted more detailed information about (a) the proper way to use condoms, (b) ideas for how to negotiate condom use with reluctant partners, and (c) accurate information on symptoms of AIDS and what to do once one contracted HIV. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the campaign materials are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon gas is a significant health threat linked to thousands of preventable deaths each year. One population that may be at increased risk from harm from radon exposure is African Americans. However, little is known about what African Americans think or know about radon. A theoretically based evaluation of radon awareness and reduction campaigns was conducted with African Americans. The knowledge and perceptions results indicate that African Americans often hold inaccurate beliefs regarding radon (e.g., confusing it with carbon monoxide gas), perceive it to be a serious threat, and perceive recommended responses to be inadequate in averting harm. The campaign materials evaluation shows that campaign materials often promote perceptions of threat but not perceptions of efficacy regarding recommended responses. Recommendations are given for public health practitioners.