Advocacy Stratagies

This week you learned about three advocacy strategies: social marketing, media advocacy, and community organizing. In this Discussion, you will apply these strategies. First, you will select a health policy that you would like to see changed. Next, you will determine how each of the three advocacy strategies could be employed to bring about the desired policy change.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Consider the following approaches to advocating for health-related policy change:

? Social marketing

? Media advocacy

? Community organizing

By Day 4, post a comprehensive response to the following. Keep your Healthy People assigned focus area in mind.

• Describe a policy change for which you could advocate. Be sure the policy change would bring about a health-related behavioral and/or a cultural change.

• How might you use social marketing to advocate for this health issue? Please provide examples.

• How might you use media advocacy to effect this policy change? Please provide examples.

• How might you use community organization to bring about the policy change? Please provide examples.

Readings

• Course Text: Social and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health
• • Chapter 15, “Social Marketing in Public Health”

    Social marketing is one method for planning intervention programs. This chapter examines social marketing with an emphasis on the steps in the social marketing process.

  • Chapter 16, Approaches to Policy and Advocacy

• Article: Farr, M., Wardlaw, J., & Jones, C. (2008). Tackling health inequalities using geodemographics: A social marketing approach. International Journal of Market Research, 50(4), 449–467. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This paper concentrates on an innovative social marketing method, geodemographics, which is used in the public sector of society as an approach to mitigating health disparities.

• Article: Galer-Unti, R. A., Tappe, M. K., & Lachenmayr, S. (2004). Advocacy 101: Getting started in health education advocacy. Health Promotion Practice, 5(3), 280–288. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This article is a primer that provides you with practical information about health advocacy. You may find it a helpful resource as your work in your chosen health field.

• Article: Pérez, L., & Martinez, J. (2008). Community health workers: Social justice and policy advocates for community health and well-being. American Journal of Public Health, 98(1), 11–14. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  Community health workers generally provide direct care to patients, which can give them a deep understanding of the life situations and disparities experienced by their patients. This article describes how community health workers can advocate for the social justice of their patients.

• Article: Pulliam, R. (2009). Developing your advocacy plan. Health Education Monograph Series, 26(1), 17–23. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  Planning an advocacy campaign can be a daunting task. This article simplifies advocacy planning by focusing on six key points that can help you design an effective program.

Optional Resources

Readings

• Course Text: Social and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health
• • Chapter 18: “Mental Health and Illness”
  • Chapter 19: “Prevention of Unintentional Injuries”
  • Chapter 20: “Violence and Public Health”
• Article: Mothers Against Drunk Driving. (2013). The campaign to eliminate drunk driving and you: a winning combination. Retrieved from http://www.maID.org/blog/2013/may/the-campaign-to-eliminate.html