W. Douglas Evans, PhD, MA

W. Douglas Evans is Director of Public Health Communication and Marketing, and Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health and the Department of Global Health.

• Phone: (202) 416-0496
• Fax: (202) 416-0433
• Email: wdevans@gwu.edu

Dr. Evans has built his public health career on an insight the private sector has long understood - marketing and communication matter. A research psychologist, his work focuses on two key areas:

• Building the evidence base to establish the effectiveness of marketing and message strategies in promoting healthy behaviors.
• Expanding the use of effective commercial marketing strategies to public health, especially to reach socially and economically disadvantaged populations.

To communicate effectively, we need research to demonstrate what works, argues Dr. Evans. "We should operate from the premise that public health can effectively adapt commercial branding strategies using the powerful tools of new media - such as viral and stealth marketing. We should grow the evidence base about how these strategies work and whether they lead to improved behavioral outcomes and long-term health impacts."

Dr. Evans joined SPHHS in 2008 from the Public Health and Environment Division of RIT International, where he was vice president. In that capacity, he led formative research in South Africa on childhood obesity and supervised health marketing outcome evaluation studies on pandemic influenza, HIV/AIDS, injury prevention and risk communication in the US. He has also assessed campaigns focused on tobacco and cancer control; nutrition, physical activity and obesity; diabetes; asthma; and reproductive health.

Education

Bachelor of Arts (Psychology/Philosophy), Reed College, 1984
Master of Arts (Cognitive science), The Johns Hopkins University, 1988
Doctor of Philosophy (Cognitive science), The Johns Hopkins University, 1991

Teaching

PubH 363: Introduction to Public Health Communication and Marketing, Department of Prevention and Community Health
PubH 394: Marketing Research for Public Health, Department of Prevention and Community Health

Research

Professor Evans is currently leading an evaluation of the 5-4-3-2-1 Go! social marketing initiative, a project of the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children designed to reduce obesity health risks in the community. He is also spearheading an evaluation of the Parents Speak Up National Campaign, which uses the mass media to promote parent-child communication about sexual activity in the adolescent and pre-teen years.

Community Service

Dr. Evans serves on the Secretary of Health and Human Service's National Advisory Committee on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Healthy People 2020). He also advises numerous social change organizations about health communication and marketing strategies, including Prevent Child Abuse America and the Medical Research Council in South Africa.

Departments

• Global Health
• Prevention and Community Health

Publications

• Efficacy methods to evaluate health communication and marketing campaigns.
  Evans WD, Uhrig J, Davis K, McCormack L. "Efficacy methods to evaluate health communication and marketing campaigns." J Health Commun 2008.
• Childhood obesity prevention in South Africa: media, social influences, and social marketing opportunities.
  Evans WD, Blitstein J, Lynch C, et al. "Childhood obesity prevention in South Africa: media, social influences, and social marketing opportunities." Int J Behav Nutr and Phys Act 2008.
• Effect of survey sponsorship on respondent cooperation in an RDD survey.
  Edwards T, Evans WD. "Effect of survey sponsorship on respondent cooperation in an RDD survey." J Official Stat 2008.
• Social marketing research with new media: case study of the parents speak up national campaign evaluation.
  Evans WD, Davis KC. "Social marketing research with new media: case study of the parents speak up national campaign evaluation." Cases in Pub Health Commun and Marketing 2008.
• Disseminating findings from a drug class review: using best practices to inform prescription of anti-epileptic drugs for bipolar mood disorder.
  Melvin C, Ranney L, Carey T, Evans WD, AED Dissemination Panel. "Disseminating findings from a drug class review: using best practices to inform prescription of anti-epileptic drugs for bipolar mood disorder." J Psychiat Pract 2008.
• Patterns of prescribing anti-epileptic drugs for bipolar mood disorder.
  Kish-Doto J, Evans WD, Squire C, et al. "Patterns of prescribing anti-epileptic drugs for bipolar mood disorder." J Psychiat Pract 2008.
• Systematic review of public health branding.
  Evans WD, Blitstein J, Hersey J, et al. "Systematic review of public health branding." J Health Commun 2008.
• Applying social marketing in health care: communicating evidence to change consumer behavior.
  Evans WD, McCormack L. "Applying social marketing in health care: communicating evidence to change consumer behavior." Med Decis Making 2008.
• Do obese persons underestimate their personal health risks?
  Finkelstein E, Brown D, Evans WD. "Do obese persons underestimate their personal health risks?" Am J Health Behav 2008; 32(5):508-516.
• Social marketing and children's media use.
  Evans WD. "Social marketing and children's media use." Future of Children: Children, Media, and Technology 2008; 18 (1):41-59.
Public health branding: applying marketing for social change.
Evans WD, Hastings G, editors. Public health branding: applying marketing for social change. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Public health branding: recognition, promise, and delivery of healthy lifestyles.
  Evans WD, Hastings G. "Public health branding: recognition, promise, and delivery of healthy lifestyles." In: Evans WD, Hastings G, editors. Public health branding: applying marketing for social change. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Public health brands in the developing world.
  Evans WD, Haider M. "Public health brands in the developing world." In: Evans WD, Hastings G, editors. Public health branding: applying marketing for social change. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Evaluation of public health brands: design, measurement, and analysis.
  Evans WD, Hersey J, Blitstein J. "Evaluation of public health brands: design, measurement, and analysis." In: Evans WD, Hastings G, editors. Public health branding: applying marketing for social change. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Future directions for public health branding.
  Evans WD, Hastings G. "Future directions for public health branding." In: Evans WD, Hastings G, editors. Public health branding: applying marketing for social change. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• What is a public health brand?
  Blitstein J, Evans WD, Driscoll D. "What is a public health brand?" In: Evans WD, Hastings G, editors. Public health branding: applying marketing for social change. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Addressing the competition: societal implications of commercial marketing.
  Gordon R, Hastings G, McDermott L, Evans WD. "Addressing the competition: societal implications of commercial marketing." In: Evans WD, Hastings G, editors. Public health branding: applying marketing for social change. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Planning for a media evaluation.
  Evans WD. "Planning for a media evaluation." In: Holden D, Zimmerman M, editors. Program evaluation planning: from start to design. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2008.
• Social marketing for adolescent tobacco use prevention.
  Evans WD. "Social marketing for adolescent tobacco use prevention." In: LaPointe MM, editor. Adolescent smoking and health research. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, 2008.
• Community programs to prevent obesity.
  Evans WD, Hersey J. "Community programs to prevent obesity." In: Golson JG, Keller K, editors. Encyclopedia of obesity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2008.
Social marketing as a strategy to reduce unintended adolescent pregnancy.
Evans WD, Silber-Ashley O, Gard O. "Social marketing as a strategy to reduce unintended adolescent pregnancy." Open J Commun 2007;1:1-8.
• A cost-efficient public health surveillance system for tracking tobacco news stories.
  Nelson D, Evans WD, Pedersen L, et al. "A cost-efficient public health surveillance system for tracking tobacco news stories." Am J Prev Med 207;32 (1):79-85.
• Prevention effects of an anti-tobacco brand on adolescent smoking initiation.
  Evans WD, Renaud J, Blitstein J, et al. "Prevention effects of an anti-tobacco brand on adolescent smoking initiation." Soc Marketing Q 2007;13 (2):19-38.
• Communicating healthy eating: lessons learned and future directions.
  Fitzgibbon M, Gans K, Evans, WD, et al. "Communicating healthy eating: lessons learned and future directions." J Nutr Educ Behav 2007;39 (2)(S1): S63-71.
• The 5-4-3-2-1 Go! Intervention: social marketing for nutrition.
  Evans WD, Necheles J, Longjohn M, Christoffel K. "The 5-4-3-2-1 Go! Intervention: social marketing for nutrition." J Nutr Educ and Behav 2007; 39(2)(S1):S55-S59.
• Employer and healthcare policy interventions aimed at adult obesity.
  Fuemmeler B, Masse L, Atienza A, Evans WD. "Employer and healthcare policy interventions aimed at adult obesity." Am J Prev Med 2007;32 (1):44-51.
• Lessons learned in implementing youth empowerment programs.
  Holden DJ, Soloe CS, Messeri P, Evans WD. "Lessons learned in implementing youth empowerment programs." In: Haviland L, editor. Lessons learned from the successes of the tobacco control movement. New York: JSI, 2007.
• The ASSIST newspaper tracking system.
  Evans WD, Ulasevich A, Stillman F, Viswanath V. "The ASSIST newspaper tracking system." In: Stillman F, Trochim W, editors. Evaluation of Project ASSIST: a blueprint for state-level tobacco control. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute Press, 2006.
• Differences in use of nutrition fact panels among parents and other adults who have child feeding responsibilities.
  Blitstein J, Evans WD. "Differences in use of nutrition fact panels among parents and other adults who have child feeding responsibilities." J Nutr Educ Behav 2006;38 (6):360-4.
• News media coverage, body mass index, and public attitudes about obesity.
  Evans WD, Renaud J, Kamerow D. "News media coverage, body mass index, and public attitudes about obesity." Soc Market Q 2006;12 (4):19-33.
How social marketing works in health care.
Evans WD. "How social marketing works in health care." BMJ 2006;322:1207-10.
• Social marketing: potential applications to reduce unintended pregnancy.
  Evans WD. "Social marketing: potential applications to reduce unintended pregnancy." Proceedings of the Reducing the Demand for Abortion Conference. Brookings Institution Press: Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2006.
• The influence of social environment and social image on adolescent smoking.
  Evans WD, Powers A, Hersey J, Renaud J. "The influence of social environment and social image on adolescent smoking." Health Psychol 2006;25 (1):26-33.
• Exposure to pro-tobacco messages: results from the national youth tobacco survey.
  Evans WD, Ulasevich A, Renaud J. "Exposure to pro-tobacco messages: results from the national youth tobacco survey." Soc Market Q 2006;12(1):3-14.
• changing perceptions of the childhood obesity epidemic.
  Evans WD, Renaud J, Finkelstein E, et al. "changing perceptions of the childhood obesity epidemic." Am J Health Behav 2006;30 (2):167-76.
• Media and secondhand smoke exposure: results from a national survey.
  Evans WD, Crankshaw E, Nimsch C, et al. "Media and secondhand smoke exposure: results from a national survey." Am J Health Behav 2006;30 (1):62-71.