Increasing Nutrition Literacy: Testing the Effectiveness of Print, Web site, and Game Modalities

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 3 - 10
• Main Authors: Silk, Kami J., PhD, Sherry, John, PhD, Winn, Brian, MA, Keesecker, Nicole, MA, Horodynski, Mildred A., PhD, RNC, Sayir, Aylin, MA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 2008; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; African Americans - education; Analysis of Variance; Black or African American; community service; computer software; Computers; consumer education; Consumer Health Information; Consumer Health Information - methods; Consumer Health Information - standards; education; educational materials; educational methods; Educational Technology; Effectiveness; entertainment-education; ethnology; Europe; Europe - ethnology; evaluation; Female; Games; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Home Visits; Humans; Information Dissemination; Instructional Effectiveness; Instructional Materials; Internal Medicine; Internet; Internet - statistics & numerical data; Learning Modalities; Literacy; Low Income; low income households; mass media; media uses and gratifications; methods; Michigan; Middle Aged; Mothers; Mothers - education; Nutrition; nutrition education; nutrition information; Nutrition Instruction; nutrition knowledge; nutrition literacy; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; physiology; Poverty; Poverty - ethnology; Printed Materials; Program Evaluation; Program Evaluation - methods; sociodemographic characteristics; Statistical Analysis; statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching Materials; Teaching Materials - standards; Teaching Methods; United States; Video Games; Video Games - statistics & numerical data; Vulnerable Populations; Web Sites; Websites; Whites; world wide web; Europe; Michigan; United States; evaluation; media uses and gratifications; entertainment-education; nutrition literacy
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620; 1708-8259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2007.08.012

Abstract Objective To examine the effectiveness of three modalities for delivery of nutrition education. Design Between-subjects, repeated-measures design. Setting Data were collected at community agencies or during home visits. Participants Low-income, European American and African American mothers (N = 155). Intervention Participants were exposed to nutrition education material in 1 of 3 modalities (a computer game, The Fantastic Food Challenge ; Web site; or pamphlet). Likeability, nutrition knowledge, intention to use, and demographic measures followed the intervention at T1 and T2. Main Outcome Measures 5-point Likert-type scales measured likeability (5 items), and 33 multiple-choice questions measured knowledge. Analysis Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) procedures using SPSS version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) software, P < .05. Results Overall, the Web site was liked more than the other conditions with this audience of women. Significant differences in attention, understanding, and intent to use the information existed across modalities. The Web site performed better than other modalities on knowledge outcomes, with no differences in knowledge retention from T1 toT2. Conclusions and Implications The Web site modality performed best with this audience of women, indicating that interactive computer games may not confer greater benefits than traditional modes of information delivery for all audiences, particularly those with low computer skills.