For nutrition info, moms like the Web best

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Public release date: 10-Jan-2008

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/e-fni011008.php

Contact: Trioli

a.trioli@...

Elsevier

For nutrition info, moms like the Web best

New study in Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior finds that

mothers prefer websites for health information

Philadelphia, PA, 10 January 2008 – A Web site is a better source of

information on nutrition than a video game or printed pamphlet,

according to a study of low-income mothers reported in the January issue

of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (http://www.jneb.org/).

Led by Kami J. Silk, Ph.D., of Michigan State University, East Lansing,

the researchers presented 155 low-income mothers with nutrition

information in different formats. One group played a video game in which

a series of entertaining activities were used to communicate nutrition

facts. Other groups received the same information in a Web site format

or a printed pamphlet.

Responses suggested that the mothers liked the Web site format best.

They paid more attention to information presented on the Web site and

understood it better. They were also more likely to say they would go

back to the Web site for nutrition information, compared to the video

game or pamphlet. " Nutrition literacy " scores were higher for women who

viewed the Web site. On follow-up testing two weeks later, mothers

assigned to the Web site were no more likely to retain the information

than those who saw the other two formats.

Efforts to increase nutrition literacy among low-income families have

focused on brochures and other printed materials. Video games seem to be

a promising " edu-tainment " approach to communicating health

information—the game holds the person's attention while communicating

the health message.

However, the new results suggest that, when it comes to getting

nutrition information, mothers prefer a Web site over a video game. The

researchers were not surprised by the result: " [R]esearch suggests that

Web sites are most often used for information, whereas games represent

intellectual challenges. "

While technology is not a " panacea " for health education efforts, " it

can perhaps be argued that Web sites are a smart strategy in certain

contexts and groups, " Dr. Silk and colleagues write. Video games might

be more successful in a younger audience, although this should also be

confirmed by research. The researchers conclude, " Future interventions

that integrate media need to consider how people use media in addition

to what media they use. "

--

ne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar@... >

" Ask the Parkinson Dietitian " http://www.parkinson.org/

" Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease "

" Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy "

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