Newspaper coverage effects on the promotion of a lifestyle intervention program
Original version
Dyrstad, S.M; Tjelta, L.I. (2013) Newspaper coverage effects on the promotion of a lifestyle intervention program. Journal of Obesity 2013, Article ID 516767 10.1155/2013/516767Abstract
The study’s purpose was to measure the impact of an individually designed lifestyle intervention programon the readers of a regional
newspaper. A newspaper with 180,000 daily readers covered a story about three untrained and overweight adults who participated in
an individually designed lifestyle intervention program.Their goals were to become physically fit and run a halfmarathon (21.1 km)
after 14 weeks of training. The newspaper published on average three weekly articles throughout the project period, including the
weekly training program and a record of the physical improvements made by the participants.The number of hits on the project’s
web site was recorded. Spin-off effects on the responses of readers were mapped. The project’s web site had 25,000 unique weekly
hits. Significant spin-off effects included the establishment of training groups which were still active after two years and the launch
of a similar project by another regional newspaper.This individually designed lifestyle intervention programwas successfully scaled
up and reached a large number of the newspaper’s readers. The collaboration between a newspaper and exercise researchers could
also be adapted to other press media and represents a novel approach to improve participation in physical activities.