Empirical Testing

Literature Review of Social Marketing

Interventions - Methods

Methods Methods Settings of Study
Diet Eight electronic databases- 2003 onward Eight electronic databases- 2003 onward 67 full-text articles retrieved

31 met social Marketing criteria and were included in study
67 full-text articles retrieved

31 met social Marketing criteria and were included in study School-based (9)

Multi-Component (5)

Non School-based youth interv3ntion (5)

Church (3)

Family therapy (2)
Exercise Eight databases searched. 110 articles retrieved

22 met social marketing criteria
School-based (6)

Community-based (14)

Media (1)

Workplace (1)
Substance Misuse Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination's databases
310 studies retrieved

35 met social marketing criteria
310 studies retrieved

35 met social marketing criteria School-based (16)

Multi-component (10)

Media (4)

Environmental (2)

Workplace/church/family based setting (3)

Interventions - Results

Improving Diet:

  • Increase fruit and vegetable intake (18 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (10)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (6)
    • No effect (1)
    • Counterproductive (1)
  • Reduce fat intake (18 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (8)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (7)
    • No change (3)
  • Improve dietary knowledge (11 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (9)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (2)

Increasing Exercise:

  • Change behavioral outcomes (21 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (8)
    • Mixed results (7)
    • No effect (6)
  • Improve exercise related knowledge (4 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (4)
  • Influence psychosocial variables (e.g. self-efficacy, perceived social support - 11 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (6)
    • No effect(5)
  • Influence physiological outcomes (14 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (4)
    • Mixed effects (4)
    • No change (6)

Substance Misuse:

  • Smoking prevention (18 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (13)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (4)
    • No effect (1)
  • Alcohol prevention and harm minimization (13 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (8)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (4)
    • No effect (1)
  • Influence psychosocial variables (e.g. self-efficacy, perceived social support - 11 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (8)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (4)
    • No effect (1)
  • Illicit drug use prevention (12 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (8)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (3)
    • No change (1)
  • Smoking cessation (9 studies)
    • Positive overall effect (2)
    • Mixed or moderate effects (5)
    • No change (2)