37After the smoke clears…A Campaign for a Smoke Free Campu.docx

37
After the smoke clears…
A Campaign for a Smoke Free Campus
December 12, 2017
Gannon University
Table of Contents
Campaign Goal and Objectives
…………………………………………... 2
Situation Analysis: Smoking
Facts………………………………………... 2
Situation Analysis: Gannon
Environment………………………………… 7
Primary
Research…………………………………………………………. 12
Target
Audiences…………………………………………………………. 17
Key
Messages……………………………………………………………..
20
Strategies and
Tactics……………………………………………………. 20
Evaluation……………………………………………………………
…… 25
Appendices.............................................................................
....................... 27
References……………………………………………………………
…… 35
Goal and Objectives

To reduce smoking of tobacco by all Gannon students and
employees as well as prevent smoking initiation.
Objective One: Reduce the number of students who smoke on
campus by 35 percent by December, 2018.
Objective Two: 50% of employees who currently smoke will
quit by April 2019.
Objective Three: 25% of smokers will have participated in the
Smoking Cessation program by September, 2018.
Situation Analysis: Smoking Facts
Important Definitions:
Tobacco: Tobacco is a green, leafy plant that is grown in warm
climates. After it is picked, it is dried, ground up, and used in
different ways. It can be smoked in a cigarette, pipe, or cigar. It
can be chewed (called smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco)
or sniffed through the nose (called snuff).
Nicotine: it is the chemical that makes tobacco addictive or
habit forming. Once we smoke, chew, or sniff tobacco, nicotine
goes into our bloodstream, and our body wants more. The
nicotine in tobacco makes it a drug. This means that when we
use tobacco, it changes our body in some way. Nicotine is a
stimulant, it speeds up the nervous system, so we feel like we
have more energy. It also makes the heart beat faster and raises
blood pressure.
E-cigarettes: electronic cigarettes are battery-powered smoking
devices often designed to look and feel like regular cigarettes.
They use cartridges filled with a liquid into a vapor, which the
person inhales. That is why using e-cigarettes is known as
“vaping”.
Hookah: a single, multi-stemmed instrument for vaporizing and
smoking flavored tobacco, or sometimes cannabis, whose vapor
or smoke is passed through a water basin- often glass-based-
before inhalation.
Smoke-free: an environment in which no people are smoking, or
in which smoking is not permitted. The said environment does
not emit or contain smoke.

Prevalence of Smoking
Prevalence of cigarette smoking has dropped to 17% nationally.
In PA, 22% of adults smoke cigarettes. In Erie County,
prevalence of cigarette smoking is higher- 27%. Men are more
likely to smoke (32%) compared to females (22%) (Erie county
community health needs assessment, 2015).
Higher rates of smoking are associated with lower annual
incomes (38% of those who make less than 25K in Erie County)
and less education (37% of those with less than a high school
education vs 9% of those with a college education in Erie
County) (Erie county community health needs assessment,
2015).
According to the Surgeon General’s report of 2012, 24.8% of
full-time college students aged 18-22 years old were current
smokers in 2010.
The Surgeon General’s report also states that “almost no one
starts smoking after age 25. Nearly 9 out of 10 smokers started
smoking by age 18, and 99% started by age 26. Progression
from occasional to daily smoking almost always occurs by age
26.”
More than two thirds of college smokers smoke infrequently or
intermittently (Suftin et al., 2013).
According to the American Lung Association, the most common
situation in which young people first try a cigarette is in the
company of a friend who already smokes.
Reasons People Smoke:
Data from the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project shows
that youth generally begin smoking because of social norms and
social pressure (Sarson et al., 1992).
According to SmokeFreeVet, a partnership between the VA and
the National Cancer Institute, many people smoke because it’s a
way they have learned to cope with post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) symptoms, negative moods, and the stress of
daily life.

Nicotine has been shown to alleviate depression, anxiety, and
pain. Smokers report that smoking is a stress reliever and smoke
more in response to stress or negative moods (World Health
Organization, 2010).
Nicotine suppresses appetite and increases metabolic rate. This
can appeal to people interested in weight loss, particularly
women and girls. It can also be a deterrent against quitting
smoking (World Health Organization, 2010).
Consequences of Smoking:
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the
US. It is responsible for one out of every five deaths. Cigarette
smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in
the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting
from secondhand smoke exposure (CDC, 2017).
On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers
(CDC, 2017).
Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases,
diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis (CDC, 2017).
More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease
caused by smoking (CDC, 2017).
Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye
diseases, and problems of the immune system, including
rheumatoid arthritis. Smoking is a known cause of erectile
dysfunction in males (CDC, 2017).
Secondhand smoke also poses a threat to non-smokers, causing
an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths and 3,400 lung cancer
deaths annually in the United States (Smoking-Attributable
Mortality, 2008).
Barriers to Quit:
According to the World Health Organization, nicotine is
extremely addictive. It is as addictive as heroin and cocaine. All

forms of tobacco are addictive because of nicotine but cigarettes
are the most efficient delivery system for nicotine.
SmokeFreeVet informs that smokers experience nicotine
withdrawal. Symptoms include feeling irritable, having trouble
concentrating, having trouble sleeping, and feeling hungry.
Smoking relieves these symptoms.
Other information found on SmokeFreeVet suggests that
quitting can be difficult because it becomes connected to other
daily activities such as watching television, drinking, or
hanging out with friends.
According to a 2015 CDC survey on Current Cigarette Smoking
Among Adults, nearly 7 in 10 (68.0%) adult cigarette smokers
wanted to stop smoking and more than 5 in 10 (55.4%) adult
cigarette smokers had made a quit attempt in the past year
(Jamal et al., 2016).
Existing Programs to Reduce Smoking:
Since 2012, the Tips From Former Smokers campaign has
motivated at least 500,000 tobacco smokers to quit for good
(CDC, 2017). This is a program with real people who share their
stories of suffering from smoking or complications due to
exposure to secondhand smoke. There is support and inspiration
to quit through social media such as Facebook, YouTube,
Twitter, and Pinterest.
SmokeFreeVet offers a tool to build a quit plan. The plans asks
users to identify why they wish to quit, what their triggers are,
why they smoke, suggests environmental changes, and support
resources such as apps, live help, phones lines, and the option
to invite a “quit” buddy.
Situation Analysis: The Gannon Environment
Gannon University was founded in 1925 located in Erie,
Pennsylvania. Gannon’s urban campus is within a two hour
drive of Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. Erie is the fourth
largest city in the states and located on one of the busiest ports

on the Great Lakes. With over 90 years of Catholic tradition,
Gannon University has been dedicated to providing students a
liberal arts education integrated with professional skills and
faith-based learning. (GU,2017)
Gannon’s city campus is one square mile- French to
Liberty Streets (east to west) and Front to 12th Streets (north to
south) all with walkable sidewalks lining city blocks (See
Appendix A). In an urban setting, the campus is intermixed with
public buildings: Erie City Hall, City of Erie Police
Department, Federal and County Courthouses, UPMC Hamot
Hospital (helicopter, ambulance, and other emergency vehicle
routes), and the Erie Fire Department.
Where the general public is allowed, there will be
smoking. Downtown public areas get busy with year-round
events such as, RibFest, CelebrateErie, Roar on the Shore,
Downtown D’Lights, block parties, demonstrations, parades,
and more. Late-night bistros and bars, hotels, restaurants,
cultural and sporting events all draw in a general public.
According to the Erie County Department of Health, the
City of Erie does not have a smoking policy, rather, it defers to
the state policy. The Act 27 of 2008, Clean Indoor Air Act
states that, “The Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) regulates
smoking in public places and workplaces across the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the exception of the City
of Philadelphia. The CIAA names the Department of Health as
the primary Commonwealth agency responsible for
implementing the law through education and enforcement of the
provisions of the CIAA. Beginning on September 11, 2008,
smoking is not allowed in public places or workplaces. The
CIAA defines a “public place” as an enclosed area which serves
as a workplace, commercial establishment, or an area where the
public is invited or permitted.”

The Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) has a clause that states
that, “With the exception of sports or recreational facilities,
theater or performance establishments, the outdoor property of
business building is not covered by the Pennsylvania Clean
Indoor Air Act. The Department of Health recommends that the
designated area for smoking be located in an area away from
building entrances, windows or openings, and have appropriate
containers for ash and cigarette disposal. The CIAA does not
provide a required minimum distance. If possible, a distance of
20 feet is recommended.”
Gannon’s urban campus is emerged in an eclectic community
that welcomes people from all different countries, backgrounds,
cultures, and ethnicities. The community is full of businesses
that reflect the interests and influences of the eclectic group of
diverse community members in Erie. For example, a hookah
lounge is located in a retail space on 5th and Peach across the
street from a Gannon freshman dormitory (See Appendix B).
This attractive storefront is decorated with elaborate Middle-
Eastern decor making it enticing for students, domestic and
international, to go hang out. In a study of Hookah users 80%
said hookah is a good way to spend time with friends and 87%
felt that hookah was not addicting. (Smith-Simone, 2008)
Almost 70% of hookah smokers believe hookah is less
dangerous than cigarette smoking (Smith-Simone, 2008).
Hookah use in the US is increasing especially among college
students (Smith-Simone, 2008).
Erie, Pennsylvania is located in the northwestern
Pennsylvania on the southern shore of Lake Erie across from
Ontario, Canada. Erie has cold, snowy winters caused by the
lake effects from Lake Erie. These harsh weather conditions
may have an influence on both smoking behaviors and the
proximity of smoking around buildings. It also will affect how
far people are willing to walk to a smoking shelter if
implemented.

Gannon University is an NCAA Division II PSAC West
school. The athletics program brings a number of visitors to
campus for athletic events, prospective tours, developmental
camps, etc. Many of the reasons for athletic visitation to
campus can yield to long drive times and long duration of stay
where smokers may find the need to smoke on campus without
the knowledge of a policy. (GU, 2017)
Gannon University’s Institutional Research and
Assessment confirms the 2016 total student population was
4,343; 3,098 undergraduate students and 1,245 graduate
students. This total includes students who live in both on and
off-campus housing (between Sassafras and Walnut Streets and
6th to 10th Streets) and commuter students who commute to
campus via cars and buses. Cultural differences based on
ethnicity could affect smoking habits. The ethnicity breakdown
at Gannon University in 2016 was: (GU, 2017)
White
American Indian/Alaskan Native
Asian
Black
Hispanic
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders
Two or more
Unknown
Non-resident alien
Gannon University’s Wellness Rewards indicates a total of 654
full time employees were eligible for Gannon’s health insurance
in 2016. Further, 363 were staff and 172 were faculty members.
Five percent of GU employees disclosed that they were smokers
on the Health Risk Assessment distributed during the Wellness
Rewards Program in 2016. Based on statistics from the field,
this would account for approximately $174K in additional
healthcare costs on an annual basis. (GU, 2017)

Gannon is taking steps to help students with college adjustments
in order for them to have a healthy and well-lived student
experience. Students have access to my.gannon.edu where they
have numerous information and resources available to them 24/7
such as: University Wellness, Student Health Services, and the
Recreation and Wellness Center. Wellness is one of Gannon’s 4
pillars and is the universities initiative to create a culture of
wellness that fosters a natural adaptation of healthy lifestyle
behaviors. Gannon University’s Student Health Services is
available to students and employees in the lower level of
Harborview. Services offered are: (GU, 2017)
Minor Injury/Illness Healthcare
Blood Pressure Monitoring
Diet Counseling
Flu Vaccine
Health Education Pamphlets
Immunization Records
Referrals to Specialists, Laboratories, X-Ray Department
Self-Care Handbooks
Snellen Vision Test
Wellness Promotion/Programs
Smoking Assistant Program/Referrals
Gannon University’s Smoking Policy is located on
my.gannon.edu and the student handbook reads as follows: “The
use of any form of tobacco (including smokeless tobacco or
blends) is prohibited in University vehicles and buildings
including classrooms, auditoriums, conference rooms, dining
halls, lobbies, hallways, restrooms, stairwells, entrance doors,
residence hall rooms, apartments and offices. The use of any
form of tobacco, including smokeless tobacco, E-Cigarettes, and
vaping* is restricted to open areas, well away from entrances to
or around any University buildings (20-feet no-smoke zone).
Any by-products of tobacco usage are to be properly discarded.
All university owned housing units are smoke and tobacco free

buildings. All smoking must be conducted a minimum of 20 feet
from any University housing unit.” (GU, 2017)
According to Gannon University Police and Safety, there are
four main areas of campus where they receive the most
complaints: outside of Waldron Campus Center, behind Zurn
academic building, in front of Zurn academic building, and the
top level of the parking ramp next to Palumbo academic
building (See Appendix C).
Through this health communication campaign, we will make
suggestions to Gannon University students and employees on
how to help reduce smoking of tobacco on Gannon’s campus, as
well as, encourage smokers within the Gannon community to
quit smoking.
Primary Research
We created a survey using the Theory of Planned Behavior
to analyze attitudes, norms, perceived behavioral control, and
intention in relation to smoking behavior (See Appendix D). We
were able to collect 88 responses to our survey. The following
are highlights of our data.
Prevalence of Smoking on Gannon’s Campus

Smoking Among Global Students
Smoking in the Past 30 Days
Attitudes Towards Smoking Among Smokers
Statement: Smoking is bad for my health
Perceived Norms Among All Students

Statement: My friends smoke.
Perceived Norms Among Smokers
Statement: My friends smoke.
Perceived Behavioral Control Among Smokers
Statement: I feel confident that I can quit smoking.
Intention to Quit
Statement: I would utilize resources provided by Gannon to quit
smoking.
Summary of Primary Research:
The prevalence of smoking among respondents was 10% among
all respondents and 25% among Global students although there
were only eight Global students who responded to the survey.
There were only nine people who reported being current
smokers but there were 22 people who reported occasionally
smoking in the past 30 days. This could mean that people who
occasionally smoke do not consider themselves to be smokers.

It’s also likely that the majority of smokers on campus do so
occasionally, possibly socially. The data indicates that smokers
believe smoking is bad for their health and so attitudes do not
contribute to their habit. Smokers on campus also report feeling
confident that they can quit smoking meaning that self-efficacy
may not affect whether a person quits. Norms is most likely to
be the biggest factor in affecting whether someone quits which
makes sense since smoking is often a social habit and two thirds
of smokers agree that their friends smoke. Among smokers there
is not clear intention to quit using Gannon resources.
Target Audiences
Freshmen Students Living on Campus:
The research targeted freshman living on campus because
regular smoking is usually established in early adulthood, and
studies show that people who begin smoking at an earlier age
are less likely to succeed in quitting (Everett et al, 1999). The
Gannon University policy does not allow students especially
freshman under the age of 21 to live off campus. Therefore, all
freshman students under 21 are required to live in the residence
halls on campus. According to the information obtained from
the undergraduate admissions the age range for undergraduate
freshman at Gannon is 17 - 21 years. While 84% of young adult
smokers (age 18-24) report having seriously tried to quit, only
8.5% report having successfully quit for 6 months or longer
(Messer et al, 2008).
Peer pressure has been shown to play a role in college freshmen
students’ smoking habits and perceptions. Peer pressure is more
likely to affect freshman students than juniors, sophomores and
seniors. Freshman students at Gannon who belong a fraternity
such as Alpha Phi Delta, Alpha Phi Delta, Delta Chi, Delta Chi,
Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Sigma Phi and many more, are more
likely to experience peer pressure from their friends. The more
college students think their peers approve of smoking, the more
likely they report a higher level of smoking intention. Further,
it was found that the perceived approval of “close peers”

predicts smoking use most strongly (Paek, 2009). Greeks face a
lot of peer pressure given their unique living situations. They
are more likely to use alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and have more
sexual partners (Scott-Sheldon, et al, 2008).
College students have been shown to consistently believe that
more of their peers smoke than actually do so (“Big Tobacco on
Campus” 2008). Belonging to a fraternity or sorority (Staten et
al, 2007) and participation in intercollegiate sports are also
predictors of both smoking and smokeless use (Morrell et al,
2005). Social smoking is a recently identified phenomenon
among young adults in which subjects identify that they only
smoke in social environments. As a result, they consider
themselves to be different from other smokers and often do not
describe themselves as being smokers. More than two thirds of
college smokers are social smokers (Waters et al, 2006).
International Freshman Students Living in West Hall:
Approximately, a large number of international students at
Gannon are tobacco smokers as compared to domestic students.
Gannon has a large number of students from Saudi Arabia, India
& the Middle East and in most cases student from these
countries are tobacco smokers. Based on observation, three in
five students from these countries are tobacco smokers or e-
cigarettes. More than half of the international freshmen students
live in West Hall. Currently, there are more than 90
international students living in West Hall. The study targeted
West Hall because it has the largest number of international
students especially freshman students.
As outline above, nicotine has been shown to alleviate
depression, anxiety, and pain. Smokers report that smoking is a
stress reliever and smoke more in response to stress or negative
moods (WHO). Most international students may experience any
other factors above because of their condition of being far away
from their homes and families. The process of coping up and
adjusting to the new environment may also cause stress, anxiety
or even pain to some international students. This also explains

why most international students are smokers and are unlikely to
quit.
Nicotine suppresses appetite and increases metabolic rate. This
can appeal to people interested in weight loss, particularly
women and girls. It can also be a deterrent against quitting
smoking (WHO). Based on observation, given the weather
conditions of Erie where Gannon is located, a lot of
international students smoke more often during winter as
compared to any other seasons of the year. International
students especially freshman students face a lot pressure given
their unique living situations and trying to adjust to the new
environment. They are more likely to use alcohol and smoke
cigarettes than their fellow senior students.
The health behaviors of college students are important because
behaviors established in the transition between adolescence and
early adulthood can be consolidated into lifetime patterns and
potentially affect long-term health (Berg, 2009). Despite
widespread health warnings about the risks associated with
cigarette use and the decrease in the social acceptability of
smoking over the past decades, college years seem to be a time
when many students initiate or continue to smoke cigarettes
(Cronk, 2010); cigarette smoking among college students
continues to be a major health problem in the United States
(Morrell, 2010)
Secondary Audience
Gannon Employees with Less Educational Qualifications:
According to the information obtained from the Health and
Counselling Center, five percent of GU employees disclosed
that they were smokers (Health Risk Assessment). Based on
statistics from the field, this would account for approximately
$174K in additional healthcare costs on an annual basis.
Education levels are strongly associated with differences in
smoking use frequencies. In one study, among American adults,
23.8% of high school graduates were smokers. A shocking
45.2% of those who received a GED smoked. Of those with

some college education but no degree 23.2% smoked. The trend
of decreasing smoking numbers with increasing education levels
continues: 18.8% of those with an associate degree, 9.9% of
college graduates, and 6.3% of graduate degree holders smoked
(Vital Signs: Current Cigarette Smoking among Adults Aged<18
Years, 2011). Based on the statistics given above, it has been
observed that Gannon employees with less education
qualifications or level are more likely to be tobacco smokers as
compared to those employees with higher educational levels or
qualifications.
Key Messages
Smoking is harmful, even just a few cigarettes, and can lead to
long term health consequences.
Avoiding or quitting tobacco can prevent disease and improve
health.
Nonsmokers save money, are not inconvenienced by having to
go outdoors, and may be more socially accepted.
Secondhand smoke is harmful to your family and friends.
You CAN Quit.
Strategies and Tactics
Objective One: Reduce the number of students who smoke on
campus by 35 percent by December 2018.
Strategy One: Use social media to target student audiences.
Tactic A: Create a video using the bad breath clip from
Spongebob to give a visual example of how cigarettes
can make a person smell and cause others to not want to
be around them. Include messaging on how smoking causes
yellow teeth, gross skin, bad breath, and an odor. This
will be posted on the Gannon University Facebook page
and shown at Freshman Orientation.
Tactic B: Take videos of non-smokers giving a personal
statement as to why they choose not to smoke. This should
include points on the inconveniences of smoking and
having to go outdoors, the social segregation, and the cost

of cigarettes. These videos will be posted to campus
Facebook groups and Instagram.
Strategy Two: Use paper mediums to target student audiences
Tactic A: Place door hangers in Freshman dorms and table
tents on tables in Waldron dining areas. These
materials will contain information on the harms of smoking and
how even occasional smoking can lead to health
consequences.
Tactic B: Place in the Gannon Knight the percentage of
Gannon students who smoke as an attempt to change
perception of norms.
Strategy Three: Partner with the Health Center to provide
resources to quit and resources to reduce secondhand smoke
Tactic A: A counselor will be available at the Health
Center to design a quit plan based on reasons for quitting,
when and where students smoke, what social support is
available, and what changes can be made to the student’s
environment. They will promote the quitting app
LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach.
Tactic B: An event will be held at the Health Center
featuring a BBQ, snacks, drinks, giveaways, and music.
At the event students will be asked to sign a pledge to support
a smoke-free campus and entered in a contest for an
Amazon gift card if they do. The event will gain
awareness of the campaign.
Strategy Four: Partner with Gannon Police and Safety to enforce
a smoke free environment
Tactic A: Install designated smoking shelters near smoking
hot spots but far enough away to reduce secondhand
smoke exposure for nonsmokers. Police and Safety will
enforce that students and employees are using these. The
areas will contain information on what resources
are available to quit.
(See appendix)
Tactic B: Work with the Gannon Marketing Department to
produce signage enforcing Gannon’s Smoking Policy

of no smoking less than 20 feet away from all Gannon owned
buildings.
Objective Two: 50% of employees who currently smoke will
quit by April 2019.
Strategy One: Partner with the Wellness Department and
Highmark to help educate about the increased health insurance
premium for Gannon employees covered under Gannon’s health
insurance who smoke.
Tactic A: Design print materials to be distributed from the
Wellness Department that gives information about
how the nicotine testing is linked to Gannon’s health insurance
premium during the free health screenings that are offered
from January through March 2018.
Tactic B: Send out email blasts January through March
2018 that highlight costs of claims caused by smoking
issues. Emails blasts will have information about premium
increases and resources to quit.
Strategy Two: Free assistance programs offered through the
Health and Counseling Center
Tactic A: Smoking Cessation program will be offered to
any employee covered under Gannon’s health insurance
who is classified as a smoker. Support classes will be
offered on campus and will be conducive to work hours.
Tactic B: The Gannon Health and Counseling Center will
be a resource for anyone who wants to register for an
assistance program outside of the Gannon’s Smoking Cessation
program. The Erie County Department of Health has
access to a number of other programs that may be more
beneficial depending upon individual needs.
Strategy Three: Increase awareness of Gannon’s Smoking
Policy
Tactic A: Human Resources will send out an e-blast of the
Gannon Smoking Policy at the beginning of the 2018
Fall semester.
Tactic B: All employees must sign an agreement stating

they will comply with the Gannon Smoking Policy.
This agreement will also have a clause that lets the employees
know that they are responsible for helping with the
enforcement of the smoking policy with colleagues, students,
and visitors on campus.
Objective Three: 25% of smokers will have participated in a
Smoking Cessation program.
Strategy 1: Create Smoking Cessation programs.
Tactic A: Engage the Gannon Health & Counseling Center
to reach out to students and encourage them to enroll in
the Smoking Cessation programs
Tactic B: Engage with the Global Office to encourage
international students to enroll in the Smoking
Cessation programs.
Strategy 2: Work in collaboration with the Gannon Health &
Counseling Center.
Tactic A: Have the Gannon Health and Counseling Center
create awareness of the Smoking Cessation programs
during the International Orientation of global students.
Tactic B: Secure a place and time at the Gannon Health
and Counseling Center to offer resources and support to
smokers seeking to quit.
Tactic C: Seek support from the GHCC health
professionals to distribute print materials to students both
domestic and international during New Student Orientation.
Strategy 3: Inform about benefits for participating in the
program
Tactic A: Create testimonials from students currently
enrolled in the program and have them share their experience
and stories
Tactic B: Create posters, brochures and leaflets containing
information about the benefits of participating in the
smoking cessation programs
Tactic C: Share the benefits of the programs on Gannon’s
social media pages; Facebook, Instagram & Twitter

Evaluations
Criteria: Objective 1
Tools:
Survey: A pre and post survey based on the prevalence,
attitudes, and norms of smoking as well as the self-efficacy to
quit smoking.
Analyze the number of complaints reported to campus police
about people smoking to see if they have reduced since the
campaign started
Event count of how many people attended the BBQ to gain
awareness of the campaign. Pledge signatures will also be
counted to analyze support
Tools:
1. Data collected from nicotine testing that will be
distributed to all Gannon employees involved in the
Wellness Rewards program.
2. Track of the number of people who utilize the Gannon
Health and Counseling Center for free assistance
programs, support classes, and seek referrals for programs
outside of Gannon.
3. Monitor the reach of the email blasts and the number of
employees who sign the agreement that they will comply
with the Gannon Smoking Policy.
Tools:
Track the total number of people enrolled in the Smoking
Cessation programs.
Survey students during orientations to find out the attitudes and
norms of smoking within their cultures.
Track the total number of print materials distributed to students.
Analyze the number of likes, views, retweets and shares on
Gannon’s social media.
Appendices

Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
The Health Communication Graduate program is conducting this
survey to analyze in class. All responses will remain
anonymous. Thank you!
Do you currently smoke tobacco, or have you ever?

Yes, I currently smoke.
Yes, I have smoked before.
No, I do not and have never smoked.
In the last 30 days, I have smoked tobacco...
Everyday
Multiple times a week
Occasionally
Not at all
Please check your level of agreement with the following
statements.
My friends smoke.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
My family is OK with smoking.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
I feel confident that I can quit smoking.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
I feel unable to quit smoking.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
I would utilize resources provided by Gannon to quit smoking.
Strongly disagree

Somewhat disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
Smoking is bad for my health.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
Smoking needs to be reduced on Gannon's campus.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
Were you aware that Gannon has a smoking policy?
Yes
No
What is your sex?
Male
Female
Prefer not to answer
Which race/ethnicity best describes you?
Hispanic
White / Caucasian
Black or African American
Arabic
Asian or Pacific Islander
Other
Which best applies to you?
International Student
Domestic Student
What is your age?

References
American Lung Association. Retrieved from Lung.org
Berg C, Ling P, Guo H, et al. (2011). Using market research to
understand health behaviors among college students. College
Student Journal. 45:726–737.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, November
16). Smoking & Tobacco Use.
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Promoting Healthy Behaviors Among Freshman Students at
Gannon University
Health Communication Campaign
COMM 515/393
December 4, 2018
Emad Alsehey
Nicholas Humes
Dawna Mughal
Aeshah Owaydhah
Kristen Webster
Goal
To promote healthy behaviors among freshmen students at
Gannon University
Situation Analysis
Dawna’s feedback/suggestion Dec 2:
Introductory statement here to connect the secondary research
and primary research to assess the situation and the problems.
For example
We analyzed the situation by reviewing the literature to identify
the studies that have been conducted on Freshman 15.
Specifically, we looked for the weight gain, obesity rates in
youth and the consequences of obesity pointing to the
importance of early prevention and intervention and to the
factors that contribute to weight gain in students during their
first year in college. We also conducted primary research on
campus by surveying a small group of freshman students for the
same purpose. The results of secondary and primary results
follow.
Then Dawna will add her literature review here.

I have a substantial narrative as background to discuss the
problems and describe the situation.
The results of the primary research will follow.
The freshman 15 refers to the major concern that students start
gaining weight and experience a large increase in their body
mass index (BMI) during their first year of college as a result of
the unhealthy meal choices, large meals portions, snack
consumptions and lack of physical activity. (Mihalopoulos, N.
L., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D., 2008). Studies were conducted
on freshmen from both genders male and female to determine
the effectiveness of gender on freshman 15 phenomena. This
research is studying the impact of freshmen 15 phenomena on
both genders while considering their housing status if they live
on campus or if they are commuters. Also, it is studying their
physical activities and nutrition choices with keeping in mind
the dramatic increase in obesity among US
population.(Mihalopoulos, N. L., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D.,
2008).
Researchers were divided regarding the impact of the weight
that gained during the Freshmen year and resulted in the
freshman 15 phenomena. Some researchers suggested that
freshmen gain as much as 15 Ibs. during their first year of
college, where others suggested that the gain is so minimal.
(Mihalopoulos, N. L., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D., 2008).
Research
Secondary Research:
What is “Freshman 15”?
It is a belief and widely popularized in the media that
students will gain 15 lbs. during their first year in the university
(Vella-Zarb, 2010).
Studies showed that freshmen’s weight gain varied widely, but
not as much as expected in the “Freshman 15” phenomenon.
Weight gain in one study was small (3 lbs.) but significant.
Majority (2/3) of the freshmen in the study gained weight. An

important predictor was living on campus. Stress was not
associated with weight gain.
Although the weight gain is small, it needs attention because
this weight gain often continues to later adulthood (Thompson,
2013) Vadevonlower, 2015)
Obesity Rate
Obesity is a national epidemic. It is a concern
because it is associated with chronic health problems (e.g.
diabetes, cardiovascular diseases) and increases health care cost
(CDC 2018).
(Will include the numbers/statistics to each of these
later)
Obesity rates are high in children and adolescents and
young adults (CDC).
Higher prevalence in African Americans and
Hispanics, compared to White. Lowest prevalence among
Asians.
Gender: Higher prevalence in women
Increasing prevalence in college-aged students
Definition of obesity
Uses body mass index, a rough measure; not diagnostic of
health status, but is used often because it is practical (CDC,
2018)
Body mass index
Weight Status
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 – 24.9 Normal or Healthy Weight
25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and Above Obese

Factors associated with freshmen’s weight gain (McKinney,
2013, Abraham, 2018)
“The students are knowledgeable that consuming fast food,
soda, and processed food
are unhealthy and they contain additives. They indicated strong
agreement to keep themselves
hydrated and choosing food because of taste preference. Even
though majority admitted eating
fresh fruits, a significant number consume processed food such
as chips, cookies, and cereal
based on convenience. Smartphone resources, vending machine
use, and drinking soda were
their least frequently used habits.
Conclusion: Students have a fair knowledge of nutritional
requirements for health; however,
food choices they make are not necessarily healthy.
Convenience and taste of food were priority.” (Abraham, 2018)
Lifestyle behaviors (diet and physical activity)
Low intake of fruits and vegetables,
Environmental factors: Buffet eating style, frequent fast foods,
living arrangement (knowledge and skills to choose and prepare
healthy foods) (McKinney et al, 2013)
“Students identified the barriers to not eating healthy food as:
limited time, reliance on unhealthy
foods, and limited knowledge about healthy foods. Temptation,
lack of discipline, and being
bored were reported as contributing to unhealthy eating. The
participants also felt that the
unhealthful foods served at university cafeterias increased the
difficulty of eating healthy,
maintaining a healthy weight, and not overeating. Students
believed purchasing healthy foods
was expensive, which hindered them from eating healthy.

Participants stated that eating in
moderation, watching portion size, and not exceeding a daily
calorie limit were the choices
required to regulate food intake and maintain a healthy weight.”
(McKinney, 2013)
Majors in college (Humanities compared to Business and
Engineering and sciences)
Adequate sleep
Family relationships (Parental support)
Messages that parents communicate (about their own weight and
the weight of their children) to their children: Have emotional
effect on the children and how children struggle with their
weight. (Thompson, 2013).
Some students fear Freshman 15 and develop eating disorder
because they restrict what they eat to avoid weight gain.
“Root Causes
• Eating late at night
• Eating unhealthy cafeteria food
• Keeping unhealthy snacks and food on hand in the
dorm room
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
• Energy drinks
• Cheap food coupons and offers
• Fast food delivery to dorm rooms
• Skipping meals
• Lack of exercise
• Poor nutritional skills and education
• Poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation
• Not understanding what their bodies need nutritionally to be
healthy”
(Julie Janeway,n.d.)
Tips

“Make it about health, not about looks,
image, or anything else
Don’t skip meals.
Avoid eating unhealthy cafeteria food.
Don’t linger.
Don’t linger.”
Plus several more
(Julie Janeway,n.d.)
Knowing contributing factors to weight gain can help academic
institutions design intervention programs for freshmen
Primary Research
Methodology:Methods (See my comments. DTM) My
suggestions are in blue font. Excuse the typos for now. Nov 22,
2018)
Our group used a survey to collect relevant data from
freshmen(what tool was used? urvey Monkey or something
else? ).The questionnaire included background information,
including sociodemographic variables, academic major and
living arrangement. The questionnaire used a Likert Scale to
assess the respondents’ degree of agreement with the statements
in the questionnaire.. The scale used a rating of 1 to 5, where 1
represents strongly disagree and 5 strongly agree. Appendix A
siaplays the questionnaire. (Dawna’s note. The survey
questionnaire needs better formatting and presentation.)
The survey period was from (list the date to ..list the date).
(Commnets This section by Dawna)
Data analysis
The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics ( distribution
of the respondents by gender, age, academic major, and living
arrangement (live off-campus or on-campus). Dawna’s question:
Who summarized the data? Did we get these details ? How

many respondents by age group,male and female, academic
major? The ethnicity information is important because this can
affect students’ perception of Freshman 15. We need to
describe the composition of the group, (Dawna)
Results
Use a table to summarize the result and discuss the results
briefly. Put the details--the bar graphs in the Appendix ,
similar to the questionnaire (Dawna)
Quantitative research was performed by asking 17 Gannon
freshmen (who live on/off campus, from different ethnicity
background and genders) to go to the link below and answer the
nine survey questions concerning the “Freshman 15”.
Survey Link:
https://qtrial2018q4az1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lrOOm
dVlUS6nml
Survey Questions :
1. I am concerned about the “ freshman 15”.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
2. I workout regularly.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
3. I frequently eat campus food.

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
4. I tend to pick the healthier food options on campus.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
5. I eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
6. I limit the amount of sugar I consume.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
7. I feel my current weight is healthy for me.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Demographics
Age:

Male or female: Male Female
Living on campus: On Campus Off Campus
Academic major:
Race/Ethnicity
Strongly Disagree
1
1
1
DDisagree
2
NNeither agree nor
Disagree
3
AAgree
4
StStrongly AAgree
5
N Not Aapplicable
NA
1.Q1. I am concerned about “”Freshman 15.”
1
2
3
4
5

2.Q2. I work out regularly
1
2
3
4
5
4. Q3. I frequently eat campus
foods.
f
1
2
3
4
5
5.Q4. I tend to pick the healthier food options on campus
1
2
3
4
5
Q5. I eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
Q6.I limit the amount of sugar I consume.

Q7. I feel my current weight is healthy for me.
Results: need titles on graphs
Q1 - 1. I am concerned about the “ freshman 15”
The responses reflect the low concern for “Freshmen 15” among
Gannon freshmen students as only 29% of the student showed
concern. The lack of concern for the Freshman 15 raises the
need to increase the awareness of the matter toward healthier
eating habits.
Dawna: Nov 15.A note: Graphics like this have to have
appropriate titles. Such as Figure 1. Students’ responses (n=17)
to question 2 (I work out regularly). As I have suggested,
presenting results in a summary table makes it easy to see the
data in one table.)
Q2 - I workout regularly:
23.53% of the respondents agreed/strongly agreed to the regular
work out question. Their answer may reflect their significant

knowledge of the importance of physical activity.
Q3 - I frequently eat campus food.
58.83% of the respondents indicated that they frequently eat
campus foods. Their responses indicate the importance of
working with Gannon’s cafeterias to provide more healthier
food options.
Dawna’s comment: Dec 2: Raw data shown on the table need to
be summarized and formatted differently for the revised
version. Normally, output data are not used as is. No need to
show maximum and minimum. Items are selected from the raw
data. The bar graphs are fine. These are figures and need to be
numbered and tiled. It’s just the nature of the”beast.”.
Q4 - I tend to pick the healthier food options on campus
30% of the respondents agreed that they tend to pick healthier
food options which indicates that 70% of the freshman are not
choosing the healthier food options on campus. The
respondents’ answer indicated that this group needs more
education on healthy diets.
Example of a table summarizing the responses. Can be efined
for now an example
Table No, Summary of students’ responses to the survey
questions. You can continue filling the spaces. I round off the
numbers to make it easy to type.But when you re-do this table,
please check all the numbers and copy the full numbers. I
cannot see the small printout
Question
Storngly disagrree
Percent (%) and N
Disagree
Percent and N

Neither diagree or agrree
Perceb and N
Agree
Percent and N
Stronlg agree
Percent and N
Mean +
Std Deviation
Q1. I am concerned about “”Freshman 15.
41
(N-7
29
n-5
0
29
n=5
0
2.18+1.25
Q 2.I work out regularly
17
5
5
41
29
Q 3I frequently eat campus foods
17
23
0
41
17
Q4
I tend to choose healthier options on campus
50
5

20
2
30
3
Q5I eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
35
6
41
7
11
2
11
2
0
Q 6I limit the amount of sugar I eat
23
4
29
5
11
2
23
4
11
2
Q7 I feel my weight is healthy for me
5
2
17
3
11

2
58
10
5
1
Another table describing the characteristics of the survey
respondents. Then we discuss this in the primary research,
indicating that they do not represent the freshman population at
Gannon. Therefore their answers plus the limitations of the
questionnaire do not give is adequate information regarding the
situation at Gannon. It’s too late now. But we could have
asked enrollment services or student services how many
freshmen live off campus. If they live at home, they are
commuters. If they are older than the typical freshman. They
can live on their own. Heidi at Commuters dept will know.
Table_ Description of the Freshman 15 survey respondents (N-
17)
Age
Gender
Housing Arrangement
Race
Academic major
Male
N=?
Female
N=?
On campus
N=?
Off campus
N=?
Can just make a long list here
White American

Black American
Etc. Or can add this at the footnote of the table
Can make a list or add it at the footnote of the table> Or group
them such as Health sciences.
Enginnering, etc
Example. List the race and the number of students. Same for the
academic majors. It does not look neat like a table but the
information is there.
Q5 - I eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
Only 11.76% of the freshman students agreed that they eat five
serving of fruits and vegetables a day, where 76.47% of the
freshman disagreed/strongly disagreed. The majority of the
respondents “disagreed” with the statement that they eat five
servings of fruits and vegetables every day .This finding is
consistent with the literature and points to the need to develop
innovative ways to help freshmen students eat more fruits and
vegetables.
Q6 - I limit the amount of sugar I consume.
The majority of the respondents strongly disagree/disagree that
they limit the amount of sugar they consume. This can be
interpreted that they eat more sugar than the recommended

limit, which is no more than 5% of the total day’s calories
(needs cited).
Q7 - I feel my current weight is healthy for me.
64.7% of the respondents agreed/strongly agree that they have a
healthy weight…. Maybe add more here
Q8 - Gender
5 more females than males completed the survey.
Q9 - Living on/off campus
A majority of the 17 respondents live off campus.
Target Audience Analysis
The transition from high school to college often results in
drastic changes to an individual's environment and resources
and these changes impact health- related behaviors (Wengreen,
& Moncur 2009). The phenomenon of gaining weight during an
individual’s first year of college is familiar to most college
students. This is why the key audience identified for this
intervention were college freshman ages 18- 20. This audience
includes freshman students living on campus, and freshman
students living off campus.
Generation Z College Freshman:
Current college freshman between the ages of 18-20 were born
between 1998 and 2000. This age group are classified as being
in Generation Z which consists of individuals born between
1995- 2012 (Robinson ,2018). On average, Generation Z
individuals use their smartphones 15.4 hours per week
(Kleinschmit, 2018). This is more than any other device. This

generation also consumes 13.2 hours of TV content per week
(Kleinschmit, 2018). Traditional marketing does not work for
Generation Z (Kleinschmit, 2018). Marketers need to embrace
technology and new ways of storytelling. Generation Z
customers respond to edgy and visual marketing tactics
(Kleinschmit, 2018). Videos, especially short ones work
particularly well with young customers (Kleinschmit, 2018).
These individuals are accustomed to high-tech and multiple
information sources , with messaged bombarding them from all
sides (Williams & Page, 2011). They have never lived without
the internet and value authenticity and “ realness” (Williams &
Page, 2011). Peer acceptance is very important to Generation Z,
they need to belong (Williams & Page, 2011).
Social Media Usage:
Some 78% of 18- to 24 -year- olds use Snapchat, and a
large majority of these users visit the social media platform
multiple times per day (Smith, & Anderson 2018). Similarly,
71% of Americans in this age groups now use Instagram and
close to half (45%) are Twitter users (Smith, & Anderson 2018).
Facebook usage is low among Generation Z compared to older
generations who tend to utilize facebook more frequently. When
asked in a study which online platforms this age group used the
most, only 10% said facebook (Solon, 2018). Another research
group predicted that facebook would lose a further 2.1 million
users under the age of 25 just this year (Solon, 2018). There
were also some differences found between gender and ethnicity
and social media use. Females are more likely to identify
snapchat as their most used site, while males are more likely to
choose YouTube (Solon, 2018). African Americans are more
likely than white teens to identify Facebook as their go-to
platform, while white teens are more likely to identify Snapchat
as their most used platform (Solon, 2018).
Survey data from this campaign plan helped to determine
how a subset of freshman students at gannon feel about the
freshman 15. Research concluded that out of the 17 students
surveyed the respondents had a low concern regarding the

freshman 15. This data highlights the importance of bringing
awareness to the issue. A majority of the respondents agreed or
strongly agreed that they worked out regularly, while only 30%
of the respondents agreed that they tend to pick healthier food
options. This suggests the importance on focusing on healthy
eating in this campaign. One of the more drastic comparisons
was between students that agreed they eat five servings of
vegetables a day compared to respondents that do not. Only
11.76% of the freshman students agreed that they eat five
serving of fruits and vegetables a day, where 76.47% of the
freshman disagreed/strongly disagreed. The majority of the
respondents also strongly disagree or disagree that they limit
the amount of sugar they consume. This suggests the
importance on focusing on healthy eating in this campaign. A
majority of the respondents, 58.82% stated that they live off
campus. If we are considering just the data we have collected, it
can be assumed that the majority off Gannon freshman live off
campus and we should spend additional time targeting them.
Key Messages
· Be smart, eat healthy, live healthy and prevent Freshman 15.
· Live healthy and in shape by adding vegetables, fruits, and
physical exercise to your daily plate.
· Fruits and vegetables with regular exercise in daily bases, are
the smart college students’ choices.
· Healthy diet with regular exercise is smarter choice by smarter
college students.
Dawna commented Nov 25: I suggest the following key
messages as examples. I will refine the sentences later I am
listing the main concepts for now
Prevent Freshman 15. Freshman 15 has been popularized as an
“event” when students generally gain 15 lbs during their
freshman year in college. We know, however, that they gain an

average of about 3 lbs during the first semester. Although the
weight gain is small, it can lead to more weight gain later on in
life. Excess body weight is associated with chronic diseases,
such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and
psychological issues.(Cite reference here). Healthy lifestyle
behaviors can help maintain a healthy weight. Focus on health
and not on weight. Many resources are available that can help
your maintain good health during your freshman year. Use
what works best for you, (This can be condensed/shortened)
Maintain good health. Maintaining good health can help you
learn better in school, do the physical and social activities you
enjoy, and overall feel better.
Choose a healthy diet. A healthy diet, regular physical activity,
and other healthy behaviors greatly contribute to your health.
A healthy diet includes a variety of foods from each of the five
food groups, in the amount and proportion that meet your
calorie needs. It should focus on a total dietary pattern that
meets your cultural and personal preferences and resources.
Include healthy fats (Unsaturated) and limit added sugar and
salt/sodium.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. They are important part of a
healthy eating pattern. They are low in calories and are packed
with vital minerals and vitamins essential to your health. They
contain no cholesterol, almost no fat and sodium. The dietary
fiber can help control blood cholesterol level and blood sugar
level (in people with diabetes). It can also promote digestive
health and makes you feel full, thereby reducing food intake.
Fruits and vegetables are convenient, delicious, and nutritious
snacks which can be eaten on-the go (Cite references here).
Don’t skip meals…

Eat a good breakfast….
Control the portion you eat especially when eating fast foods
and snack foods, and when eating at cafeterias and buffets.
These foods are high in calories, fat, sodium/fat and cholesterol.
Do regular physical activity. (Note: List the recommended
amount for yong people. The information 2018 is in USDA
Guidelines or CDC. Physical activity along with healthy diet
can help maintain healthy weight and overall well-being.
Get adequate sleep and rest. Sleep and rest are important to
your health. Get more specifics and cite the reference.
Objectives/ Strategies/Tactics
Objective 1: To get 50% of our target audiences to consume at
least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, by the end of
the 2019 academic year.
Strategy One: Collaborate with METZ, the Knight Club, and the
Fresh Cafe to provide students with the knowledge needed to
make healthier eating choices.
Tactic One: Create a large pop-up banner and place it next to
the front desk in the Byer Cafeteria. The banner will feature a
picture of a plate from the cafeteria but has appropriate portions
of fruits, vegetables, grain, and meat on it. This will start
freshman thinking about portion control and encourage them to
eat a balanced diet. The banner will say “This is it chief! Make
sure you get your 5 servings of Fruit and Veggies each day.
Tactic Two: Work with the Knight club to create new menus.
These menus will feature a coding system that will let the
patron know which choices are healthier and which are
unhealthy. Each food item will have the calories listed next to it

as well.
Tactic Three: Create door hangers that have information
regarding healthy eating. They will be a guide on how to eat
healthy as an on campus student. With the help of Metz, the
Knight club, and fresh cafe we will create 4 door hangers that
each feature a different day of eating healthy. For example there
will be a healthy breakfast choice from Byer Cafe, a healthy
lunch option from Fresh cafe, and a healthier dinner choice at
the knight club. We will put one variation of the hangers on
each dorm room door handle.
Strategy Two: Collaborate with the “Commuter Corner” to
provide commuter students with general healthy eating
information.
Tactic One: Work with Heidi Noyes, the director of commuter
life to hold an event in the commuter corner where we show the
students how to create a cheap, healthy, meal at home.
Example of breakfast: Jennings (2018)
Lunch: Bruno, A. (2018)
Dinner: Food Network. (2017)
Tactic Two: Hand out flyers to students as they sign in to the
commuter corner that have a guide to eating healthy at home on
it. This will feature one of the recipes from Tactic One. It will
feature nutritional facts of healthier food choices and contrast
them to junk food choices. It will also have the average caloric
intake goal for men and woman on it and the recommended
servings for the main food groups
Strategy Three: Use social media to target our audience.
Tactic One: Create a Video to be shared on youtube. This will
be a 15-30 second video meant to dispel the myths surrounding
the Freshman 15. It will inform the viewer that they are only

likely to gain around 3 pounds but even that can have negative
effects later in life. It will also inform them that not eating or
eating only a small amount is an appropriate way to avoid the
weight gain. You must nourish your body correctly. It will then
contain a call to action and tell them to visit a website where
they can enter in their height and weight and level of activity to
get a starting point for their nutrition. It will tell them the
number of calories they should aim for each day, which foods to
avoid and which to favor.
Tactic Two: Create a website to inform students about healthy
eating, the reality of the freshman 15, gives them a starting
point for what and how much to eat, and encourage them to get
other friends to visit the site. It will do this by listing recipes
that are healthy, tasty, and are for 2 or more people.
Tactic Three: Host a contest on snapchat. Post flyers around
campus that have the contest information. On the second and
last friday of each month from February 2019 until April 2019
if students add “GUHealthfulEating” on snapchat and post a
picture of their healthy meal for the day and add the caption
“Eating healthy at GU” they will be entered into a random
drawing for a 10 dollar gift card to Fresh Cafe.
Objective 2: To get 60% of our target audiences to be physically
active for an hour each day by the end of the 2019 academic
year.
Strategy One: Work with the Gannon Recreation center to
provide information about the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Tactic One: Set up a table in the Waldron Campus center with
Rec center staff to distribute information regarding the rec
center. Hours of operation, times the pool is open, fitness class
schedules, what to wear, what not to bring, a basic exercise
routine. All of this information will be in a tri-fold pamphlet.

Tactic Two: Work with the Rec Center to set up an event where
freshman can sign up for a free session with a trainer at the Rec
center. There will be 4 sessions, each falling on the first
monday of each month starting in February. These sessions will
be with a trainer and they will explain to the group how to use
each machine in the center, how to decide which exercises to
do, how long and often they should exercise. This will acquaint
the students with the concept of going to the gym and help
break the ice and make them more comfortable visiting it.
Tactic Three: Work with the Rec Center to create signs to post
along AJ’s way. The signs will start near the Palumbo Academic
Center and run all the way to the Recreation center. The signs
will feature information on exercising. Why it is beneficial,
myths, and how to make it easy. They will also act as a guide to
the Rec Center. There will be arrows with phrases such as “this
way to get swole”.
Tactic Four: Work with the Rec Center to create a system where
a student can login to the Gannon Website or visit the Wellness
and Fitness website that we will create and see an estimate of
how busy the rec is that hour. This could work based on taking
the average number of people visiting the Rec each day for a
month and organizing the average amount of people there each
day and at what times. This will help students plan when they
visit the Rec Center. Students that may be anxious about being
near many people can try and visit during times when the traffic
is low.
Strategy Two: Work with the “Commuter Corner” to provide
information to commuter students.
Tactic One: Work with Heidi Noyes to organize a commuter
fitness presentation. It will feature general fitness information
and tips on staying active at home. A commuter student may not

have class and will not want to drive or get a ride to campus.
The exercises and tips for them will be calisthenics they can do
anywhere and tips for jogging in their neighborhoods.
Tactic Two: Work with the commuter corner to hold a giveaway
for an at home fitness starter basket. The basket will have
several items including, all the pamphlets and information from
previous tactics, a reusable water bottle, a jump rope, a small
dumbbell and a yoga mat. To enter the student has to sign into
the commuter corner.
Strategy Three: Use social media to target our audience.
Tactic One: Host a contest on snapchat. Post flyers around
campus that have the contest information. On the first and third
friday of each month from February 2019 until April 2019 if
students add the Gannon Rec Center on snapchat and post a
picture of a gym selfie that week and add the caption related to
exercising they will be entered into a random drawing for a 10
dollar gift card to Fresh Cafe.
Tactic Two: Create a virtual trainer video. This will serve as an
option for students who are not able to attend one of the in
person tours. The staff in the video will demonstrate how to use
several of the most popular machines and demonstrate a few
exercises using barbells and dumbbells.
Tactic Three: Create a page on the previous website dedicated
to fitness and exercise. The page will link to the official
Gannon Rec Center page. As a quick glance splash page it will
feature hours of operation, if the rec is open that day, the
classes offered that day, and if the Rec is particularly busy. It
will host simple, visual explanations for beginner exercises.
Objective 3: 60% “Freshman 15” awareness increase among
Gannon students by the end of 2019.

Strategy 1: Collaborate with METZ, the Knight Club, and the
Fresh Cafe to increase awareness of the freshman 15.
Tactic 1: Create fortune cookies that contain informational
messages about the freshman 15 and how it can be prevented.
These can be given out at meals at the METZ, the Knight Club,
and the Fresh Cafe.
Tactic 2: Create flyers that can be given out when you order a
meal at the METZ, the Knight Club, and the Fresh Cafe. These
can explain what the “ freshman 15” is so students are more
aware that this can happen to them.
Strategy 2: Use social media to spread awareness.
Tactic 1: Create an infographic to be placed on Gannon’s
freshman facebook page. This can contain informative
information about the “freshman 15” and ways that that they can
be proactive and try to avoid it.
Tactic 2: Create a short 1 minute video with a sophomore
student that explains the “freshman 15”. This video can explain
how this student handled the threat of the “freshman 15” and
what they did to stay healthy their first year away from home.
The video will also be made available to be shared to further
increase awareness.
Strategy 3: Work with the Gannon Recreation center to increase
awareness of the “freshman 15”.
Tactic 1: Create posters that can be hung on the walls
throughout the recreation center. This way as students walk
throughout the center they are learning educational information
about the freshman 15.
Tactic 2: NEED ONE MORE TACIC I CANT THINK LOL

Dawna’s comments Dec 2: Jenny in the last class said to have
too many. I mentioned to her the guidelines say “multiple”.
But she said we have to be realistic that eplan is doable. I vote
for only two tactics per strategy> When you have all these
tactics, the evaluation plan can be lengthy because they are
connected to the strategies and tactics.
Evaluation Plan
Several tools can be used in order to evaluate the progress and
success of achieving the goal and objectives of the campaign.
Objective 1: To get 50% of our target audiences to make
healthier, more informed eating choices by the end of the 2019
academic year.
Tool 1: Track the amount of shares the youtube video receives.
Tool 2: Track the number of people that go onto the website
that informs students about healthy eating.
Tool 3: Track how many students add “GUHealthfulEating” on
snapchat.
Objective 2: To get 60% of our target audiences to be physically
active for an hour each day by the end of the 2019 academic
year.
Tool 1: Track how many freshman students sign up for a free
session with a trainer at the recreation and wellness center.
Dawna’s opinion: I think this is unrealistic. Many people can
be physically active without signing up for a trainer. Any
alternatives here?
Tool 2: Using a sign up sheet, track how many students attend
the commuter’s fitness presentation.
Tool 3: Track how many students participate in the contest on
snapchat, by tracking how many students post their gym selfie.

Objective 3: 60% “Freshman 15” awareness increase among
Gannon students by the end of 2019.
Tool 1: Track how many fortune cookies that contain
informational messages about the freshman 15 are handed out.
Tool 2: Track how many students share the freshman 15
informational video.
References (add your references in alphabetical order)
Bruno, A. (2018, October 01). 16 Healthy Lunches That Cost
Less Than $2 to Make. Retrieved from
https://www.self.com/gallery/healthy-lunches-under-two-dollars
Food Network. (2017, January 27). Budget-Friendly Healthy
Recipes. Retrieved from
https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/photos/budget-friendly-
healthy-dinners
Jennings, K., & R.D. (2018, April 25). Healthy Breakfasts for
Less Than $1. Retrieved from
https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-eating-
on-a-budget/healthy-breakfasts-for-less-than--1
Kleinschmit, M. (2018). Generation Z characteristics: 5
infographics on the Gen Z lifestyle. Retrieved November 15,
2018, from https://www.visioncritical.com/generation-z-
infographics/
Mihalopoulos, N. L., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D. (2008). The
Freshman 15: is it real?. Journal of American college health : J
of ACH, 56(5), 531-3.
Robinson, M. (2018). The Generations. Retrieved November 15,
2018, from https://www.careerplanner.com/Career-
Articles/Generations.cfm

Sharma, N., Lee, J., Youssef, I., Salifu, M. O., & McFarlane, S.
I. (2017). Obesity, cardiovascular disease and sleep disorders:
Insights into the rising epidemic. Journal of sleep disorders &
therapy, 6(1).
Segula, D. (2014). Complications of obesity in adults: a short
review of the literature. Malawi Medical Journal, 26(1), 20-24.
Smith, A., & Anderson, M. (2018, March 1). Social Media Use
in 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018, from
http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-
2018/
Solon, O. (2018, June). Teens are abandoning Facebook in
dramatic numbers. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/01/facebook-
teens-leaving-instagram-snapchat-study-user-numbers
Wengreen, H. J., & Moncur, C. (2009). Change in diet, physical
activity, and body weight among young-adults during the
transition from high school to college. Nutrition journal, 8(1),
32.
Williams, K. C., & Page, R. A. (2011). Marketing to the
generations. Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, 3(1),
37-53.
COMM 515/393: Health Communication

Health Campaign
Your Assignment: To bring together everything you learned,
you will create a health campaign to address a public health
issue impacting the Gannon or Erie community.
The Details: You will work in groups to create a health
campaign on an issue of your choosing. This should be a full
scale campaign that includes extensive research and planning.
This is similar in content but more detailed than your creative
brief. It will include:
· Goals: What is the overarching goal or purpose of this
campaign? You may have 1-3 goals for your campaign. Goals
are short statements that describe the overall reason for the
campaign.
· Situation analysis: The situation analysis examines the
environment in which you are creating your campaign. It will
require secondary research. Think about the issue you are
addressing, potential problems associated with it, information
about the environment in which you are implementing the
campaign, etc.
· Research: You will need to conduct some form of primary
research and analyze it to determine the best ways to reach your
audience. Understand what messages and mediums will work
and use those to devise your strategies and tactics. You may
also want to assess attitudes and knowledge to help you
determine appropriate content.
· Target audience analysis: You need to explain your audience
segments and what you know about them. You’ll want at least
three narrowly defined audience segments although you may
have more. Break these down into primary and secondary
audiences. Provide basic demographic and psychographic
information as well as reasons for targeting each group.
· Key messages: Based on your research and audience analysis,
develop key messages for the campaign. The messages should
make sense considering what you know about the issue and the

audience. You will need a primary and secondary message for
each audience. These messages will help form your strategies
and tactics.
· Objectives: You will need to provide SMART objectives for
your campaign that detail exactly what you want to achieve.
You should have at least 3 objectives for your campaign and
may have more depending on the issue.
· Strategies: You will need to provide strategies for each
objective. Remember that these are general plans through which
you will achieve your objectives and they usually focus on an
audience, message, or medium. You will have multiple
strategies per objective.
· Action/tactical plan:Your tactics will build upon your
strategies and help you to meet your objectives. These should be
concise but detailed enough that someone reading the plan
knows exactly how to execute the tactic. You will have multiple
tactics per strategy.
· Evaluation plan: Based on your campaign plan, explain how
you will determine if you met your objectives. You should
provide the criteria as well as the tools for evaluating the
success or failure of your campaign. You will need at least one
evaluation tool for each objective but may have more.
In total, your campaign plan will likely be 25-30 pages. It may
be more, depending on your use of charts, graphs, images, or
additional appendices. The longest portions of your plan will be
your situation analysis, research, and target audience analysis.
You’ll likely have at least 4-5 pages for each of these sections.
The remaining sections are primarily formatted with bullet
points and numbers, similar to the creative brief.
There is no particular format required for this project but it
should be professionally organized and designed. Use your
skills and resources as best you can to create a professional
plan. Plans should also be well written and free of spelling and
grammar mistakes.

In addition to writing your plan you will also be required to
present your plan in a professional presentation to the class.
Any or all of you may be involved in the presentation; that is up
to you. The style and structure of your presentation is also at
your discretion. The only requirement is that your presentation
be at least 30 minutes long. A question and answer session will
follow. Think of this as you pitching this campaign plan to a
group who will be deciding whether or not the plan is feasible,
appropriate, and should be implemented.
What you need to turn in: A typed copy of your campaign. One
copy per group. You may also provide any appendices for your
project including research or creative materials that you
designed for the campaign. These materials are not required but
can be provided as supporting material if you choose. You must
also turn in an outline, or slides from your presentation.
Grading: You will be graded on how thorough, detailed, and
appropriate your plan is. Sections that are missing, lacking
detail, or do not include relevant content will result in a
deduction of points. Plans that are not well written, properly
formatted, or include spelling and grammar mistakes will be
marked down. Your presentation will be graded for
professionalism, time, and content. Presentations that are not
well delivered, do not meet time requirements, or fail to include
relevant and appropriate content will receive a deduction in
points. The plan is worth 150 points and the presentation is
worth 50 points.
This assignment is worth 200 points total and must be submitted
by the beginning of class on December 4. Students who submit
late assignments will be penalized according to the policy on
the course syllabus unless the absence is excused. You should
email me or visit my office hours with any questions or
concerns about this assignments.

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