NOTE: The poster session will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The poster presenters will be at their posters in person from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
Extension has a history of providing nutrition and healthy lifestyle education. In many states, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) is implemented through Extension and is part of Extension’s approach to providing nutrition education to low-resource individuals and families. SNAP-Ed has typically provided health education through individual and group-based classes, but it is currently being encouraged to implement social marketing as a way of influencing population-based behavior change (United States Department of Agriculture, 2019). Social marketing is a broad-based approach to nutrition education that can increase the number of positive messages about and images of healthy eating [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).
In 2018, Mississippi State University Extension Service (MSU Extension), Office of Nutrition Education (ONE), launched a statewide social marketing campaign targeting SNAP-eligible individuals and families. The campaign was branded HappyHealthy and is the most widespread social marketing campaign undertaken by MSU Extension. HappyHealthy has four target behaviors - increase physical activity, shop for healthy foods on a budget, prepare meals at home, and have pride in food and family. Messages related to these behaviors are delivered through five delivery channels: mass media, web and social media, printed materials, teaching and presentation resources, and nutrition education reinforcement items. MSU Extension staff, particularly those affiliated with ONE, is partially responsible for implementing HappyHealthy through the distribution of printed materials, through social media efforts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter), and by dissemination of promotional media (e.g., nutrition education reinforcement items, such as recipe cards).
At the organizational level, HappyHealthy is an innovative way for MSU Extension to promote healthy food and lifestyle choices. Successful implementation of the campaign somewhat depends on whether MSU Extension staff disseminate HappyHealthy messages and materials with low-resource audiences.
When conceptualizing HappyHealthy as an organizational innovation, Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory (2003) could help explain the speed and extent of the innovation’s diffusion. Roger states that “innovation goes on all the time in organizations” but employees’ adoption of an innovation is not guaranteed (Rogers, 2003; p. 405). Rather, adoption could be affected by an employee’s perception of the innovation’s attributes. Specifically, the perceived relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability could determine the adoption of the innovation (Rogers, 2003).
A process evaluation with select MSU Extension staff was conducted to assess the following evaluation questions.
- What are perceived attributes of the HappyHealthy campaign?
- How are those perceived attributes contributing to the adoption of HappyHealthy as an organizational innovation?
As part of this evaluation, staff perceptions of the campaign’s relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability were explored.
In the early stages of the campaign, external evaluators conducted in-depth interviews with MSU Extension staff members (n = 17). Interviews were conducted by a trained evaluator and digitally recorded to ensure that all comments were completely and accurately captured (Walker, Hofer, Woloshin, & Wolford, 2018). Recordings were transcribed and analyzed in accordance with the perceived attributes defined by Rogers.
After the campaign had been active for several months, the same external evaluators developed a web- based survey instrument for administration with MSU Extension staff. The evaluation survey included primarily closed-ended questions and took approximately 20 minutes for respondents to complete. A total of 54 surveys were completed by Extension agents (n = 14), nutrition educators/community wellness planners (n = 35), and regional registered dieticians (n = 4) (Walker, Hofer, Woloshin, & Wolford, 2018). Survey responses were interpreted in accordance with Roger’s perceived attributes of an innovation.
