Study shows Healthy Nutrition Campaign changing teen behavior in Oklahoma
A campaign aimed at encouraging Oklahoma teens to eat healthy is making an impact, according to a recent academic paper published in an international journal. The research found that teens exposed to Swap Up, a campaign by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), reported an increase in healthy behaviors compared to those who hadn’t seen the campaign. This shows teens felt Swap Up’s messaging was relevant and relatable, according to the authors of the peer-reviewed article.
TSET’s Swap Up campaign is helping teens eat better and live healthier
A campaign aimed at encouraging Oklahoma teens to eat healthy is making an impact, according to a recent academic paper published in an international journal. The research found that teens exposed to Swap Up, a campaign by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), reported an increase in healthy behaviors compared to those who hadn’t seen the campaign. This shows teens felt Swap Up’s messaging was relevant and relatable, according to the authors of the peer-reviewed article.
The study, “Swap Up Your Meal: A Mass Media Nutrition Education Campaign for Oklahoma Teens,” published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, shows that within five months of launch, nearly three out of four Oklahoma teens reported they were aware of the campaign. The selfreported change in behavior underscores the importance of education campaigns in influencing behavior among teens.
“Swap Up is the first known mass media nutrition education and obesity prevention campaign to attempt to reach adolescents across an entire state…these findings provide a promising foundation for the campaign’s long-term goals of documenting incremental changes in teens’ behavior and obesity prevention,” the article states.
Oklahoma has one of the highest youth obesity rates in the U.S., at 17.6%. Launched in 2021, Swap Up focuses on youth obesity prevention using simple nutrition messaging.
The campaign recognizes the specific barriers to healthy living encountered by youth and offers realistic solutions youth can incorporate into their daily lives. Swap Up models healthy “swaps’ for everyday beverage, snack and fastfood options. It also highlights how these choices will help youth think, feel and perform the way they want.
“ TSET’s work is breaking new ground in obesity prevention by educating young people on how to make healthy choices and the benefits of those choices,” said Julie Bisbee, executive director of TSET. “ The impact of the Swap Up campaign on teen awareness and behavior shown in this paper are very exciting and we will continue to monitor the progress and successes of this campaign and its impact on health in Oklahoma. Inspiring and supporting Oklahomans to live healthier lives is at the core of what we do at TSET.”
Efforts to inform Oklahoma youth on how to improve nutrition and physical activity is important in countering the hundreds of millions of dollars that the fast food and beverage industries spend each year marketing their products.
Swap Up is part of the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative, a statewide program focused on preventing and reducing obesity and tobacco use among Oklahomans ages 13-18. For more information about Swap Up and the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative, visit TSETHealthyYouth. com.
