Targeted Health Promotions through the Use of Digital Media
Creators: name: Lo, Annika
name: Robbins, Kayla
name: Young, Matthew
name: Yiu, Rachel
name: Yu, Lia
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2019

description: The main purpose of this study was to research effective strategies to promote health and physical activity behaviours at the University of British Columbia (UBC) through digital media techniques. This project was conducted in partnership with the Social Ecological Economic Development Studies program (SEEDS). The SEEDS program connects students, faculty, staff, and community partners through various research projects. A website audit of the UBC Athletics and Recreation dance program was conducted to gauge the current participation of the UBC community and provide recommendations to increase engagement. Through the lens of health promotion and inclusion, data was gathered from students, staff, alumni, and faculty. The purpose of the website audit was to evaluate user feedback from the UBC community on the UBC Athletics and Recreation dance program’s website and provide recommendations to improve user engagement and subsequently promote physical activity. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach through a web-administered survey. The survey was distributed online to reach as many participants as possible and included a summary describing its purpose as well as a consent form (Appendix A; Appendix B). Quantitative data was obtained through the use dichotomous questions and Likert scales. Qualitative data was ascertained through open-ended questions (Appendix C). Of those who took the survey, 80.3% of participants identified as students, 17.1% identified as staff or faculty, and 3.6% identified as alumni. Quantitative data gathered from the survey are summarised in Appendix D, Appendix E, Appendix F and Appendix G. A sample of the language utilised on the UBC Athletics and Recreation dance website is included under Appendix H. Avoiding convenience sampling and motivating UBC staff and faculty to partake in the study were noted as challenges. Participant recommendations were gathered through the qualitative data ascertained through the surveys. These included adding more visuals and colour to the website, reducing lengthy text, implementing an online registration option for classes, and designing a site that is mobile friendly (Appendix I; Appendix J; Appendix K). The information reviewed from the current literature and both the qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the survey was used to inform the final recommendations offered to the UBC Athletics and Recreation dance program. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”