Principles of Nutrition Education Chapter 17 Principles of Nutrition Education © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Learning Objectives Develop a nutrition education plan for a program intervention. Design nutrition messages. Describe four strategies for increasing program participation. Describe three basic principles of effective writing. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Introduction Nutrition education is an instructional method that promotes healthy behaviors by imparting information that individuals can use to make informed decisions about food, dietary habits, and health. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Introduction The successful nutrition message has a favorable impact on the target audience and gets them to: Examine their belief system. Evaluate the consequences of a certain behavior. Change their behavior. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Applying Educational Principles to Program Design An effective nutrition intervention program will integrate good instructional design and learning principles and use media that facilitate a high degree of individualization. The effect of an intervention on the target population’s knowledge and behavior depends on the intervention’s application of 6 basic educational principles... © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Applying Educational Principles to Program Design Consonance - the fit between program and its objectives. Relevance - the degree to which the intervention is geared to clients. Individualization - allows clients to have personal questions answered or instructions paced according to individual learning progress. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Applying Educational Principles to Program Design Feedback - helps clients learn by providing a measuring stick to determine how much progress they are making. Reinforcement - designed to reward the desired behavior. Facilitation - measures taken to accomplish desired actions or eliminate obstacles. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Learning across the Life Span People of any age learn best if: They have the prerequisite knowledge. Content is broken into small pieces. They have an opportunity to practice what they have learned. The content seems relevant. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Adult Learners Adult education - the process whereby adults learn and achieve changes in knowledge, attitudes, values, and skills. For adults, learning is an intentional, purposeful activity. Adult learners approach learning differently than children do because they have different motivations for learning. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Adult Learners Characteristics of adult learners include the following: They learn best when subject matter is directly tied to their own realm of experience. Their learning is facilitated when they can make connections between their past experiences and their current concerns. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Adult Learners Characteristics of adult learners (continued): They are motivated to learn by the relevance of the topic to their lives. They retain new information best when they are actively involved in problem-solving exercises and hands-on learning. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Adult Learners An effective program takes into account the learning styles and motivations of the target population. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Adult Learners Recommendations for adult learners: Make learning problem-centered. Make information concrete and define all abstract terms. Make learning collaborative between the educator and the learner. Encourage participatory approaches to learning. Ask open-ended questions to draw out what adults already know about the topic. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Adult Learners Recommendations (continued): Seize the “teachable moments” which are life transitions. Increase the adult learners’ sense of self-worth by validating their experiences. Establish a positive learning environment. Recognize individual and cultural differences because they affect learning styles. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Adult Learners Target groups should be researched by: Reviewing the literature Conducting formative research Asking representatives from the audience to help you with the planning and development of the program © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Behaviorally focused nutrition education addresses 3 domains of learning: Cognitive - presents children with the “how” of eating more healthfully Affective - addresses factors that motivate children to change the way they eat Behavioral - helps children build new eating skills and behaviors © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Strategies recommended to promote healthful eating among students in the lower elementary school grades: Involve parents in nutrition education through homework or take-home videos. Provide role models for healthful eating. Use incentives to reinforce healthful eating. Identify easy-to-prepare, tasty, and healthful snacks such as fruits and vegetables. Increase students’ confidence in their ability to make healthful eating choices. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children “Five for Kids, Too!” Developed to teach young children simple dietary changes that would keep them healthy and also delay the onset of chronic diseases © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Goals and Objectives Increase daily consumption of fruits and vegetables among the target audience Increase awareness of the importance of fruits and vegetables Promote willingness to try fruits and vegetables Decrease resistance to eating fruits and vegetables © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Methodology Year-round activities were designed to reach children, parents and caregivers Activities used free materials from industry and from the American Cancer Society Supplemented with letters home to parents, incentive gifts for the children, and a classroom visit from a community nutritionist 5-minute instructional videos © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Results Evaluated through: Pre-surveys and post-surveys of parents and children Teacher evaluations Children Increase (17% to 87%) in children answering that they need to eat 5 servings daily © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Results (continued) Parents Higher percentage of children were consuming 3-4 or 5-6 daily servings Fewer children were consuming only 1-2 servings > 2/3 stated that their child was more willing to taste fruits/vegetables and that the program helped their child and the whole family to eat more fruits/vegetables © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Results (continued) Teachers Generally rated the program very highly 77% described its effectiveness as excellent or very good > 90% stated that they would be willing to repeat the program © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Programs for Children Lessons Learned Television is a powerful medium for this age group. The program is now designed as a “copy and collect” project for the teachers—forms are copied, distributed, and later collected—because teachers were more likely to participate if their perceived workload was not increased. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Developing a Nutrition Education Plan The nutrition education plan outlines the strategy for disseminating the intervention’s keys messages to the target population. Key nutrition messages may be designed to change consumer behavior, as in the “5 a Day for Better Health” message to “Eat five to stay alive.” © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Developing a Nutrition Education Plan The nutrition education plan is a written document that includes the following: Needs of the target population. Goals and objectives for intervention activities Program format Lesson plans © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Developing a Nutrition Education Plan Written document (continued): Nutrition messages to be imparted to the target population Marketing plan Any partnerships that will support program development or delivery Evaluation instruments © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Developing a Nutrition Education Plan A nutrition education plan is developed for each intervention target group. At the systemic level, the nutritional education plan might properly be called a strategy. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Developing Lesson Plans The first step in developing a lesson plan is to know your target audience, the setting, and the content. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Developing Lesson Plans Consider these principles when developing lesson plans: Focus on the learner and their interests, needs, and motivations. Relate learning to real-life situations and give examples that relate directly to the learners’ lives and experiences. Actively involve the learners in the learning process because people learn best by doing. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Structuring Your Knowledge The first component of lesson writing is to identify the major concept you are communicating. Three questions to ask yourself before creating a lesson plan include: What am I trying to teach? What are they key concepts? What methods of inquiry are used – what teaching method will I use? © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Writing Instructional Objectives Instructional objectives should: Concentrate on the learner and not the teacher. Clearly communicate a specific instructional intent. Be stated in terms of the end-product and not in terms of the process of learning. Describe one type of learning outcome per objective that is specific in describing the learners’ performance. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Components of a Lesson Plan Components of a lesson plan include: Objectives Body of the lesson Activities Evaluation © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Components of a Lesson Plan Common format used to structure lesson plans: Lesson title Target audience Duration General objectives or the goal for the class Specific objectives that identify the expected learning outcomes using measurable statements © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Components of a Lesson Plan Common format (continued): Procedures Learning experiences or activities Method of evaluation Describes how the instructor will evaluate whether or not the expected outcomes have been achieved Materials needed © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Components of a Lesson Plan Procedures section includes: Introduction - describes how the instructor will introduce the class Body of the lesson - contains the background and the lesson organization scheme Closure - a summary of the lesson © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 The “Heartworks for Women” program is a health promotion activity designed to help women reduce their CHD risk. The senior manager responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating the intervention. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Senior manager decides to organize intervention activities into two areas, smoking and nutrition, and each area is assigned to a different team. The manager designates a leader for each team. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 The community nutritionist first identifies the target population’s educational needs by reviewing the data obtained during the community needs assessment and by conducting formative evaluation research. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Set Goals and Objectives Develop goals and objectives for the program and to use these to sketch a rough outline of the program sessions. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Specify the Program Format The nutritionist now chooses a format for the program that suits the topic and the amount of information that must be presented. The program will consist of 90-minute sessions in which participants will set target dietary goals, try new behaviors, and assess their successes. The key strategy will be to seek small behavioral changes. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Develop Lesson Plans The nutritionist now considers the instructional method and chooses to present the material in group sessions, knowing that participants can learn from one another. She must also decide whether to use existing educational materials or whether to design her own. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

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Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Specify the Nutrition Messages Messages should convey a simple, easy-to-understand concept related to the topic. An example of a message would be to “Choose lean cuts of meat.” © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Choose Program Identifiers The nutritionist chooses the program name, logo, an action figure, or a tag line, which give the program its own identity. Develop a Marketing Plan © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Specify Partnerships The nutritionist establishes a partnership with a local grocery store chain to use one of its stores as the setting for one session on shopping for low-fat foods and reading labels. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Nutrition Education to Reduce CHD Risk: Case Study 1 Conduct Formative Evaluation Focus group sessions to test the dietary messages and program instructional materials. Testing the print materials for reading grade level. Results of the formative evaluation are used to change and improve program delivery. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Designing Nutrition and Health Messages Studies of consumer behavior suggest several ways of designing nutrition messages to grab consumers’ attention... © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Designing Nutrition and Health Messages Present information in a novel or unusual fashion. Use language that says to the consumer “Listen to this. It’s important.” Use language that is immediate. Design messages that use verbs in the present tense and demonstratives such as this, these and here. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Designing Nutrition and Health Messages Avoid using qualifiers such as perhaps, may, and maybe that express uncertainty. Use straightforward statements rather than tentative statements. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Designing Nutrition and Health Messages The “It’s All About You” campaign was designed to promote positive, simple, and consistent messages to help consumers achieve healthy, active lifestyles. The campaign is a product of the Dietary Guidelines Alliance which is a consortium of professional organizations, trade organizations, and the federal government agencies. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Designing Nutrition and Health Messages – “It’s All About You” The messages developed by the Alliance were derived from focus group discussions with consumers and a summary of their opinions on effective communications, which included the following... © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Designing Nutrition and Health Messages – “It’s All About You” “Give it to me straight” means to use simple, straightforward language and not technical or scientific jargon. “Make it simple and fun” and provide practical, easy-to- implement strategies. “Explain what’s in it for me” means to make the benefits of healthy lifestyles clear. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Designing Nutrition and Health Messages – “It’s All About You” “Stop changing your minds” means to be consistent in making recommendations. “Offer choices” means that consumers want to be empowered. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Implementing the Program After the program has been designed and tested, it is ready for implementation. The goal at this phase is to deliver the program as faithfully as possible. Keep a record of any unexpected problems so that a strategy for preventing them can be developed for future programs. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Enhancing Program Participation The higher the level of participation in a program the better. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Enhancing Program Participation Ways to improve participation rates include: Understand the target populations’ needs and interests. Use evaluation research to improve the program design. Remove barriers to participation. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Enhancing Program Participation Ways to improve participation rates (continued): Find ways to help participants see the immediate benefits of participating. Schedule the activity at a convenient time. Use incentives for participating. Build ownership of the program among participants by using slogans, action figures, and logos to enhance the program’s identity. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Conducting Summative Evaluation Summative evaluation provides information about the effectiveness of the program and it is conducted at the end of the program. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Conducting Summative Evaluation Summative evaluation seeks to obtain data about the participants’ reactions to all aspects of the program: Topics covered Instructors or presenters Instructional materials Program activities Physical arrangements for the program Advertising and promotion Registration procedures © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Entrepreneurship in Nutrition Education Creativity and innovation can be applied to many aspects of nutrition education, from the development of action figures to the use of new communications media such as the Internet. One approach to motivating consumers and helping them change their behavior is to design effective nutrition messages and programs. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Being an Effective Writer Three Basic Rules of Writing Know what you want to say. Eliminate clutter. Edit, edit, edit. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Being an Effective Writer Reading and Writing The more you read, the better you write. The better you write, the better you can communicate. The better you communicate, the better you inform, inspire, and educate. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Being an Effective Writer Different Strokes for Different Folks Some writing requires the formal language of the scientific method Some writing is meant to entertain and inform Choose an appropriate style, format, and tone of voice © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Being an Effective Writer Writing for Professional Audiences Must conform to a more rigorous, traditional format and style than those aimed at consumers Best way to learn how to write = study published articles Writing for the General Public Most important sentence = the first sentence Know when to close © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth