John B. Lowe, MPH, DrPH, FAHPA¹, Liz Pearce, MA¹, Leslie Baxter, PhD², Randy Hirokawa, PhD², and Peter Nathan, PhD¹. (1) Department of Community and Behavioral Health, The University of Iowa, E225A General Hospital, Iowa City, IA 52242, 319-384-5383, john-lowe@uiowa.edu, (2) Department of Communication Studies, University of Iowa, 105 Becker Communication Studies Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52240

The authors designed, implemented, and evaluated the effectiveness of a broad-based and localized media campaign about drinking and pregnancy directed toward low-income pregnant women. The project consisted of four parts: Phase I comprised formative research to determine what our sample of 51 female WIC clients understood to be the effects of alcohol in the developing fetus, investigate our sample's attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding the use of alcohol during pregnancy, and examine their communication practices relevant to the topic of alcohol and pregnancy. In Phase II storyboards based on the findings of our Phase I research were developed and pilot tested. Phase III involved the production of 3 mediated messages: a broad-based 30-second TV commercial, a 10-minute video, and a printed pamphlet. The video and pamphlet were sent to all OB-GYN and general practitioners in the state of Iowa to prepare them for questions posed by patients exposed to these materials. Phase IV evaluated, through a randomized control design, the effectiveness of the mediated messages in pretest-posttest surveys of cohort groups of WIC (n=700) clients drawn from all 99 counties of Iowa. This session will report the findings of this study and offer lessons learned from the field.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives

Participants will
• Understand the importance of selecting an appropriate evidence based health communication approach and shaping it to reflect the needs of the population 2)Learn effective strategies in working with community partners and the media on health issues
• Describe the steps necessary in developing, implementing and evaluating a public health campaign.

Keywords: Alcohol, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.