Cold and flu affect more than you: A social marketing campaign targeting influenza transmission on a university campus

Authors

Sandra C. Jones, University of WollongongFollow
Lyn Phillipson, University of WollongongFollow
Karen Larsen-Truong, University of WollongongFollow
Lance Barrie, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

87338

Publication Details

Jones, S. C., Phillipson, L., Larsen-Truong, K. & Barrie, L. (2013). Cold and flu affect more than you: A social marketing campaign targeting influenza transmission on a university campus. In G. Hastings & C. Domegan (Eds.), Social Marketing: From Tunes to Symphonies (pp. 401-408). Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Abstract

Seasonal influenza and the common cold are common illnesses that can have serious implications for a person's health as well as their ability to carry out work and study. Many university students are among the age groups (18-24) reporting high numbers of notifications of influenza (laboratory confirmed) in Australia (Department of Health and Ageing 2011). Universities host a large number of students and staff daily who use shared facilities and spend time indoors together. As such, it is expected that transmission risks in universities are similar to those in closed communities (such as healthcare settings and schools). This presents a serious public health issue for universities. In 2011, the University of Wollongong (UOW) funded the Centre for Health Initiatives (CHI) to implement the UOW Cold and Flu Campaign; a campus- based social marketing intervention, to reduce the spread of cold and flu among the UOW population.