BodyLove

This entertainment-education programme uses the technique of modelling healthy and unhealthy behaviours and their consequences in order to increase listeners' knowledge and motivate them to adopt healthier practices - specifically in the areas of diet, physical activity, smoking cessation, and stress management. Each 15-minute episode is usually followed by a 45-minute talk period where listeners speak to local health experts for information and/or referrals to local health resources that can help them prevent and manage chronic disease. The talk period is also used to highlight local health events, clinics, and other community health promotion opportunities. Two sample episodes may be listened to online, here.

The stories in BodyLove centre around 3 families in a community. Vanessa and Roz operate the beauty salon called BodyLove. Two other main characters, Rosalyn and Fadelia, manage their diabetes in very different ways that have life-threatening consequences. While the focus is on diabetes (a chronic disease prevalent among African-American adults), the stories also address hypertension, stroke, kidney disease, depression, alcoholism, gun violence, and other critical issues. In short, by demonstrating strategies for changing from unhealthy to healthy behaviours, BodyLove hopes to increase confidence among listeners that they, too, can undertake such changes. The BodyLove website provides additional concrete suggestions for those motivated to take healthy steps.

Health.

Media for Health is a private non-profit organisation formed in September, 2006, to produce, promote, and distribute BodyLove. They also undertake evaluation research: In one study, data were collected from a panel of 95-162 radio listeners after every 20 episodes. On a 5-point scale (poor/fair/good/very good/excellent), 52% to 67% rated the programme very good to excellent at each survey point. Forty-three percent said they have adjusted their schedules to listen to BodyLove. When asked to indicate the level of influence (0-100%) on a number of health-related behaviours, most listeners indicated that listening to BodyLove had a very high level of influence (greater than 70% influence) on talking about diabetes, getting screened for diabetes, getting screened for high blood pressure, starting to exercise, and starting a healthier diet. Listening was reported to have a moderate to high level of influence (greater than 50%) on talking about and getting screened for depression. Five of the current stations in Alabama report a listenership of 20,000 per quarter hour during the period they broadcast BodyLove.

BodyLove has been featured in a number of newspapers and newsletters, and also receives regular print and television coverage in its local markets. A blog by screenwriters focuses on the use of BodyLove stories to change lives.