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New National
Ad Campaign Encourages Preventive Care for
Men
Newswise — The U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services’
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
joined with The Advertising Council today to
launch a national public service campaign
designed to raise awareness among
middle-aged men about the importance of
preventive medical testing.
Men are 25 percent less
likely than women to have visited the doctor
within the past year and are 38 percent more
likely than women to have neglected their
cholesterol tests (Source: AHRQ Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey, 2005).
Furthermore, men are 1.5 times more likely
than women to die from heart disease, cancer
and chronic lower respiratory diseases
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2005).
The new campaign
encourages men over 40 to learn which
preventive screening tests they need to get
and when they need to get them. This
campaign complements AHRQ’s existing efforts
toward improving the safety and quality of
health care and promoting patient
involvement in their own health care,
including the “Questions are the Answer”
campaign (http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer/)
launched with the Ad Council in March 2007
and the “Superheroes” Spanish-language
campaign (http://www.ahrq.gov/superheroes /) launched in March 2008.
“We hope this campaign
will inform men about the importance of
prevention and show them that they should
work with their health care providers to
find out what they should do to stay
healthy,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M.
Clancy, M.D.
The campaign highlights
the work of the AHRQ-sponsored U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force, which is an
independent panel of experts in primary care
and prevention that systematically reviews
the evidence of effectiveness and develops
recommendations for clinical preventive
services.
“By taking steps to prevent
disease and stay healthy, men can live
longer and more productive lives,” said Task
Force Chair Ned Calonge, M.D., M.P.H.
“Prevention is a decision that includes
participating in regular physical activity,
eating a healthy diet and finding out which
preventive medical tests are right for you.”
Created pro bono for
the Ad Council by McCann Erickson Detroit,
the public service advertising campaign
includes new television, radio, print and
Web advertising featuring the theme “Real
Men Wear Gowns.”
The lighthearted ads
incorporate family as a key motivating
factor for men to take a more active role in
preventive health.
They show the target
audience that being a real man means taking
care of themselves (and their health) in
order to be there for their families and in
the future. Ad Council research showed this
was a strong motivating factor for men. To
view the PSAs, visit
http://www.ahrq.gov/realmen.
“Our research conducted
during the development of this campaign
found that despite their increased health
risks men aren’t taking preventive steps and
are often only visiting their doctors when
they experience symptoms,” said Peggy
Conlon, President & CEO of the Ad Council.
“We are proud to continue our initiative
with AHRQ with this wonderful series of PSAs
designed to motivate men to take a more
active role in their preventive health care.
The campaign encourages
men to visit a comprehensive Web site,
http://www.ahrq.gov/realmen/. The site
provides the recommended ages for preventive
testing (as well as a list of tests), a quiz
designed to test your knowledge of
preventive health care, tips for talking
with your doctor, a glossary of consumer
health terms, and links to online resources
where you can find more medical information.
Public service
advertisements are being distributed to
approximately 33,000 media stations
nationwide this week. Per the Ad Council’s
donated media model, all of the new public
service advertisements will air and run in
advertising time and space donated by the
media.
AHRQ
The Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (www.ahrq.gov) is part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
AHRQ’s mission is to improve the quality,
safety, efficiency and effectiveness of
health care for all Americans. AHRQ’s
research helps people make more informed
decisions and improve the quality of health
care services.
The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (http://www.adcouncil.org)
is a private, non-profit organization that
marshals talent from the advertising and
communications industries, the facilities of
the media, and the resources of the business
and non-profit communities to produce,
distribute and promote public service
campaigns on behalf of non-profit
organizations and government agencies in
issue areas such as improving the quality of
life for children, preventive health,
education, community well-being,
environmental preservation and strengthening
families.
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