A program designed to keep University of Wisconsin students mindful of common, risky health behaviors associated with spring break that launched last year returns to campus this week as students prepare for the upcoming break.

UHS Executive Director Sarah Van Orman said the campaign, called Do Spring Break Right, is part of an effort to ensure students will leave campus well-prepared for a safe spring break.

Health services launched the efforts last March to address the three behaviors of sun safety, alcohol use and sexual activity.

“These issues are important to all students, whether they spend their vacation working in Wisconsin, laying on a beach in Florida or volunteering in Central America,” she said.

Students’ input also played an important role in this year’s advocacy efforts. According to Van Orman, Do Spring Break Right Campaign Coordinator Alisa Santiesteban worked extensively with student employees in UHS’s Prevention and Communication Units to design this year’s multi-layered approach.

UHS also introduced promotional giveaways this year to garner increased student involvement in the event.

Last Wednesday, the department’s student employees and volunteers distributed prevention kits including lip balm, sunscreen and condoms throughout residence halls and libraries, UW spokesperson John Lucas said.

Although media coverage of the Do Spring Break Right campaign has focused on the packages themselves, Van Orman said the most important part of these giveaways are the informational cards UHS provided with them.

Van Orman added the promotional giveaways have been an effective way to get students to stop and think about the campaign’s message and strategies.

“I’ve seen many students stop in at UHS to pick up these bags and actually stop to read the cards we have hanging on them,” Van Orman said.

Van Orman added the giveaways have been proven effective ways to address risky behaviors by national public health organizations such as the Center for Communicable Diseases.

Most recently, Van Orman said the campaign used new communication efforts such as Facebook and Twitter. She said drawing off the campus’ active Twitter network has been particularly effective “to inform, to receive feedback and to engage in conversations with students.”

Lucas said the recent emphasis on using social media has also increased the amount of students who have taken advantage of UW health services. Lucas added updates over Twitter during the break will help UHS stay in touch with students, regardless of how far from campus they are.

UHS campaign coordinators employed a variety of research methods to choose the focus of the campaign, Van Orman said.

By incorporating students’ anecdotes and by drawing from population-based surveys such as the National College Health Assessment survey, Van Orman said this year’s Do Spring Break Right is one of UHS’s best developed and most aggressive campaigns compared to others in years past.

The program’s coordinators also designed its schedule so as to utilize traditional media forms such as newspapers, fliers and chalking posters.

Van Orman said while changing behavior is difficult, by targeting specific actions such as unsafe sexual activity and alcohol use, which tend to increase as students interact in unfamiliar environments, UHS directors are hopeful these messages will resonate with individuals and ensure their safe return.