About Grayson Andrea
My interest in Public Health grew out of media and communications: If we can use media to promote poor health behaviors (fast food, soft drinks, smoking, etc.), why can’t we also use it to promote behaviors that serve our health, communities and environment? With a background as a media producer, and also teaching college courses on the social impacts of technology, my first involvement in the field was working with the Population Media Center, doing a training in Swaziland, Africa. The effort was to help media personalities better understand how their language and programming could help change the stigma around HIV/AIDS and promote testing and treatment for the disease (the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland was one of the highest in Africa).
At the time, I was just finishing my doctorate, and could now apply the tools of primary qualitative research to communication projects, which opened up my consulting practice to Social Marketing, or Public Health Communications. With clients that include the Vermont Department of Health, the Connecticut Department of Health, The University of Vermont and numerous prevention coalitions around the state of Vermont, among others, my work applies behavior theory to communication and programming projects that aim to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of targeted populations.
Courses
- PH306 Social and Behavioral Health
- PH395 Public Health Communications
Articles & Publications
Several articles on behavior change posted on Medium at: http://agrayson.medium.com.
Community Engagement
I currently work as a Public Health Communications consultant (a.k.a. Behavior Change Communications) where I help government departments and non-profits reach specific audiences with effective messaging and programs. I also speak regularly on the harms of sugar and highly processed foods, advocate for policy changes to promote better health, and run a program called Breaking Free from Sugar that helps people break their emotional and physiological addiction to sugar. Additionally, in the Fall of 2021 I will be teaching a trauma-informed life skills and entrepreneurial training program to some of Vermont’s incarcerated women.