¿Quién sabe Resoluciones del Año Nuevo?
by Jerry Rhodes
Communications

Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution and failed to keep it?

This year CareOregon made a resolution to help others live up to their resolutions to live more healthy lifestyles. Others for whom, quite literally, New Year’s Resolution is a foreign language.

Specifically, CareOregon’s Communications and Health Education staff worked with Bustos Media on a 10-week Resolutions campaign. Bustos Media operates Spanish-language radio stations (KGDD 1520 AM, KLPM 1150 AM, KRYN 1230 AM, KTRO 910 AM, KWOD 1390 AM and KOOR 1010 AM) including four of the largest in the Portland metro area, and the only ones that are live and local.

Like our nutrition campaign with Bustos Media last fall, the New Year’s Resolution campaign featured tips from “nuestros amigos del plan de salud de CareOregon” on three of the Bustos radio stations. Here's a audio clip of one of the radio spots.

Behavioral health specialists tell us that when people are trying to change a behavior—quitting smoking, eating healthier, exercising more—they go through different stages. They progress from simply contemplating the change, to dealing with setbacks, to maintaining the change as a daily part of their lives. So each week of the campaign included tips appropriate for a particular stage of change.

“Jerry Rhodes worked with Denise Johnson and other staff members to identify the kinds of health tips that help people make lasting change,” said Jeanie Lunsford, Communications manager. “Many of our Spanish-speaking staff helped to make sure the language was culturally appropriate and meaningful to our members.”

The campaign concluded with a special event March 7 in Hillsboro. Participating DJs from all three stations were on hand—and live on the air—to play soccer, interact with listeners and kids and generally promote health. More than 300 people attended.

“The reactions have been twofold,” said Luis Cardenas, the Bustos Media Sales Manager who has been working with us. “People have been very supportive, and have said that this is something that should have been done and they are happy we are doing it. People are happy that we are doing something that is of benefit to the community.

One of the most important things we were able to do is to reach the people who matter the most: We were reaching the people who feel they aren’t heard.”

Luis, who is training for his first Half Iron Man triathlon, said he used some of the tips himself.

“Thanks to this program, I have finally been able to get myself down to the gym to work out,” he says.

Luis says the tip that helped him was one encouraging people to make healthy changes that benefit them personally, rather than trying to impress someone else.

“The thing I learned the most is that a healthy lifestyle is an ongoing thing,” he says. “I don’t have to finish tomorrow.”

Currently, about 16 percent of CareOregon’s member households identify Spanish as their primary language. More than 86 percent of our Spanish-language households live within range of Portland-area radio stations.