Media-Smart Youth Program Evaluation Study

Study Summary

This study will evaluate the impact of a Media-Smart Youth (MSY) curriculum on adolescent knowledge and behavioral intent regarding media messages, nutrition, and physical activity. The study is part of the U.S. Government's efforts to fight obesity and increase physical activity among American youth. The MSY program seeks to empower adolescents to make healthful choices about nutrition and physical activity by helping them understand how media can influence their lives. This is important because it is estimated that young people view as many as 40,000 commercial messages a year on television alone, many of which promote unhealthy snack foods and beverages. Youth between 11 and 13 years of age who are participating in selected after-school programs in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area may be eligible for this study. Participants are randomly assigned to either receive the MSY curriculum or serve as controls. Youth in the MSY group participate in a workshop consisting of 10 lessons and a creative project to create a media message for their peers on the topic of nutrition and physical activity. During the sessions, the young people receive information on nutrition and physical activity and learn about media production and how to critically examine the media. Youth in the control group participate in after-school programs unrelated to MSY. All participants fill out questionnaires measuring their knowledge, skills, and behavioral intent related to media analysis, nutrition and physical activity both at the start of the study and at its completion.