Examining Media Habits: implications for health promotion programs among the Toposa in Southern Sudan

Heggen, Anne E.; Valerio, Melissa A.; Thoar, Gideon Gatpan; Rodgers, Ann F.; King, Jonathan D.; Kur, Lucia William; Becknell, Steven; Emerson, Paul M.

doi:10.1016/j.inhe.2009.06.005

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Volume 1, Issue 1 , Pages 45-52, September 2009

Examining Media Habits: implications for health promotion programs among the Toposa in Southern Sudan

Anne E. Heggen
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Health Behavior and Health Education, 109 Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA
Melissa A. Valerio
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Health Behavior and Health Education, 109 Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 734 263 0673 fax: +1 734 763 7379.
Gideon Gatpan Thoar
- The Carter Center Southern Sudan, One Copenhill, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA
Ann F. Rodgers
- University of Michigan Medical School, 1301 Catherine Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Jonathan D. King
- The Carter Center, One Copenhill, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA
Lucia William Kur
- Trachoma Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Government of Southern Sudan, Juba, Sudan
Steven Becknell
- The Carter Center Southern Sudan, One Copenhill, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA
Paul M. Emerson
- The Carter Center, One Copenhill, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA

Received 6 May 2009; accepted 3 June 2009.

Summary

Dissemination of appropriate health education messages is essential to any health promotion campaign. This cross-sectional study examined media ownership, access and media preferences by target groups in Kapoeta South County, Southern Sudan. The target groups were segmented into household heads (n=368); women with children under five years (n=580); and youth 11-16 years old (n=349). Interviewees were selected at random from 49 villages. Overall, a small portion owned radios (6.8%) and television sets (0.2%); more had access to radio (27.1%), listened to cassettes (50.8%), and had access to television and movies (21.4%). The majority were interested in programs developed in the vernacular (89.0%). A very low literacy rate (1.3%) and difficulty in understanding signage (29.7%) posed potential obstacles for use of print media as a primary source of health communication. Heads of household were more likely to own radios (P<0.001), watch TV outside of the home (P=0.034), and see posters (P=0.038) than other groups. Traditional entertainment was attended by 94.4% of respondents. Information from chiefs (61.5%) and elders (51.5%) was considered trustworthy by the majority of respondents. This research highlights the utility in understanding media access, habits and preferences of community members when designing a health promotion campaign.