Universidad Simón Bolívar
Dpto. Procesos Biológicos y Bioquímicos
Sección Nutrición. Caracas-Venezuela
University of South Carolina
Department of Health Promotion,
Education, and Behavior
Lessons learned of using social
networks for improving lifestyles in
Health Practitioners
Angely Gonzalez MSc. and Jennifer Bernal, PhD.
Presented at
Healthy Eating in Context:
Communicating for Change & Sustainability
session: Leveraging Technology to Improve Nutrition
4th ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM of the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities and the Environment and Sustainability
Program, at the University of South Carolina
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center . Friday, March 21, 2014
Background
o
Health practitioners have little time to eat,
sleep and exercise right.
o
o
1.
Doctors and nurses have relatively poor
health (1). Nurses' diet and exercise habits
are influenced by social interaction with
colleagues at work and by the disruption to
their circadian rhythm(2).
Access to phones and social networks:
o
o
98 out of 100 citizens had mobile phones.
It ranked the position 36 out 212 with
internet users. Almost half the population
had internet at homes (3).
Qual Life Res. 2012 21 (10):1727-30. 2. J Nurs Manag. 2006 14 (5): 414-23. 3. Int. telecommunications Union, 2012).
Objective
Designed and applied an intervention for improving
lifestyles (diet and physical activity) in health
practitioners (HP), based on daily messages or
images send through social networks (SN).
Methods
n=100 HP volunteers (doctors,
nurses, nutritionists)
80% females
Public Hospital in Caracas,Venezuela
1. Baseline measurement:
i. Lifestyles pattern (diet quality , sleep pattern and physical activity and sports)
(Swindale y Bilinsky, 2006; Arrivillaga and Salazar, 2005)+ measurement of abdominal
circumference (n=34).
ii. Preferred social network for receive messages or images, for a 8 week-period.
2. Analysis of basal measurements  decisions  design of intervention.
3. Follow up: Evaluation of changes in lifestyles and the intervention by HP.
4. Ethical approval: HP signed an inform consent and approval of the Hospital IRB.
5. Analysis: Descriptive statistics and non-parametric test were applied
Results. Design of intervention
Consisted in sending one daily-morning message or images encouraging HP, to improve
their lifestyles. Duration of message: 30-60 seconds, during a 8 week-period.
Facebook and blog page
Topic selected
Diet quality (portion size,
Messages Images
27
10
fast food, balanced meals)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
E-mail
Water intake
6
6
5
5
Facebook
Beverage and sugar
intake
Salt intake
6
5
Active lifestyles
11
11
Total
55
37
Whatsapp
/SMS
Social net
Results. Selected messages and graphics
Diet quality
Salt intake
Beverage intake
Water intake
“1 soft drink (500ml) has 11 spoons
of sugar. Avoid it!”
Active lifestyles
“Move for your health. 30 minutes a day”.
Results. Comparison between the baseline and follow-up
assessment to improve lifestyles in HP (n=100)
Selected indicators o
variables
Baseline
(%)
Follow-up
(%)
p-value
Less than 3 meals/day
11
7
0.32
Healthy pattern snack
23
11
0.02
Low-fat milk intake
53
66
0.06
Use of sugar (≥2
times/day)
33
26
0.28
Use of salt
69
68
0.28
Risk abdominal
circumference
24
24
1.00
Sedentary behavior
(none PA)
40
38
0.77
Sleep time (<7h/day)
48
47
0.89
Results. Messages preferred by HP
7%
6% 2% 1%
3%
29%
12%
18%
25%
9%
3%
77%
Pyramid
Healthy plate
Sugar in beverages
Sodium in food
Sodium in beverages
Meal time
Water intake
Sauces nutrition facts
None
Energy expenditure by activity
Importance
Use stairs
None
8%
Lessons learned
From the health practitioners:
o Easy to understand
o Fast for reading
o Use friendly and funny images
From our research team:
50
Read daily
40
30
Access
20
Intensive
use
10
0
Use of SN
o Content and extension of the message
o Clarity of the image
o Equilibrium varying messages and images
o Reduce quantity of topic for intervention
o Time of intervention
o Refine instruments to capture change behavior
o Compare with objectives measurements
o Verify if subjects read and understand messages or images
Fastest
Messages are technically clear.
What and how to deliver it is a challenge
To the right audience, at the right time.
Messages are technically clear.
What and how to deliver it is a challenge.
To the right audience, at the right time.
Messages are technically clear.
What and how to deliver it is a challenge.
To the right audience, at the right time.
Messages are technically clear.
What and how to deliver it is a challenge.
To the right audience, at the right time.