Introduction: Outdoor advertising media (OAM) like billboards/hoardings, posters is a social marketing method which has currently been largely used by healthcare industry. The information provided on OAM catches public attention and creates a memorable impression very quickly. Strategically developed and positioned billboards can deliver health information to thousands of people every day.
Objective: To evaluate the quality and quantity of OAM for health information in a Northern city of India.
Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in Chandigarh in November, 2013. A total of 30 sites (bus stands, railway station, roundabouts, dispensaries, petrol pumps, bus stops) were visited and all the OAM for health information were assessed for quality. The quality was assessed using a pre-structured observational checklist. The checklist covered domains of language, content, format and reliability. Data was entered and analyzed descriptively by using SPSS-16.
Results: Ninety six OAM were found. More than half (51%) of them were in English. Most of these health information materials were strategically located, coloured and provided by government agencies. OAM covered all sort of topics ranging from general health, water sanitation and hygiene, Communicable and Non Communicable Diseases. The mean scores of language, content, format and reliability were 4.6, 3.1, 5.9 and 0.7 respectively. Majority (77%) scored average and only 22.9% materials scored high on quality.
Conclusion & Recommendations: The quality of outdoor advertising media for health information was found to be average. Careful planning in designing and placing OAM at strategic locations can maximize their potential in raising health awareness among general masses.
