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STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTHY LIVING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DISSEMINATED THROUGH A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE

Thomas, Elizabeth Anne

Abstract Details

2016, PHD, Kent State University, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences.
Public Service Announcements (PSAs) have had roots in American culture since WWII and are still used today to inform the public about current health, social, and environmental issues facing the population. In the past 70 years, traditional media outlets were used to spread PSAs, including print, television, and radio. However, newer technologies are starting to take shape as an alternative way to reach the masses, including social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Along with changes in the delivery of information, there have also been some changes with many Americans’ bodies, specifically related to weight gain. The increase in the weight of many Americans is largely attributed to oversized meal portions and a sedentary lifestyle. This study gathered information from young adults (N=249) at a large Ohio public university to add to the current literature about PSAs disseminated through the social networking site Facebook, and email, to determine their effectiveness on changing people’s awareness, attitudes and behaviors about daily food and exercise choices. The quantitative results provided evidence that a four-week intervention helped to create modest changes in both Facebook and email groups regarding awareness, behaviors, and attitude changes about healthy living. Contrary to the popularity of social media, the Facebook group did not perform better than the email group. In fact, the email group demonstrated statistical significance on two issues that the Facebook group did not. The qualitative results provided by the Facebook group demonstrated that SNSs can benefit people who read posted messages and comments and participate in discussion. In this study, 95% of the Facebook participants self-reported that they benefitted from discussions.
Drew Tiene, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Catherine Goodall, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Chia-Ling Kuo, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
232 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Thomas, E. A. (2016). STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTHY LIVING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DISSEMINATED THROUGH A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1476288019300899

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Thomas, Elizabeth. STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTHY LIVING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DISSEMINATED THROUGH A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE . 2016. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1476288019300899.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Thomas, Elizabeth. "STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTHY LIVING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DISSEMINATED THROUGH A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE ." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1476288019300899

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)