Elisabeth Gleckler, MPH, DrPH, College of Education, Human Performance and Health Promotion, University of New Orleans, 109 Human Performance Building, UNO Lakefront Campus, New Orleans, LA 70148, 504-280-6361, egleckle@uno.edu, Robert McCannon, MA, Albuquerque Academy, New Mexico Media Literacy Project, 6600 Wyoming Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, and Mike Loughrey, PhD, Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico Media Literacy Project, 5115 Sunningdale Ave., NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110.

We live in the most mediated society in world history, with Americans spending 10-12 hours a day consuming media. Modern commercial mass media has developed into moderator of our reality, inhabiting our public social space with persuasive messages of consumption. The majority of illnesses arise from unhealthy or risky lifestyles that are the result of a compulsiveness heralded in modern commercial media. These risky behaviors result in chronic or infectious disease that can be prevented. Many of those behaviors begin in middle and high school such as tobacco use, poor exercise and eating habits, early sexual initiation and multiple sexual partners. Presently there is a model for coordinated school health that entails eight components and six critical adolescent health topics that are the leading causes of death and disability in young adults. This presentation will offer an adaptation of the existing coordinated school health model by integration of media literacy. Specifically, this presentation will provide a foundation of media literacy as part of health education, outline the role of modern commercial mass media in risky behaviors, provide examples of an integrated media literacy and health curriculum, results from studies that used media literacy. Three recent studies in New Mexico will be presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of media literacy in achieving attitude and behavior change in youth. Results from a group of student teachers in New Orleans trained in the combination of media literacy and the coordinated school health program will close the presentation.

Learning Objectives: At the end of session, participants will be able to

• State five reasons why media literacy is a part of an important comprehensive school health currculum;
• State four health issues that are suited for media literacy for health lessons;
• Explain the role media education for health in the Centers for Disease Control model of coordinated school health;
• Identify an example of a successful media literacy study for elementary, middle and sedondary schools; and
• Describe the components of a model for teaching teachers media literacy for health.

Keywords: Health Education Strategies, Media Literacy

Related Web page: www.nmmlp.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The New Mexico Media Literacy Project CD-ROM, "Media Literacy for Health," was one of the tools used in the studies that are described in this abstract. It is a CD-ROM sold by a non-profit agency.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.