NUTRITION EDUCATION Joseph Kungu Learning Outcomes By end of this session participants should • Describe the role of nutrition education • Explain why nutrition education programmes fail • Describe the qualities of a good nutrition educator • Suggest ways how we can make nutrition education successful 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 2 Introduction • Nutritional problems broadly fall into two categories, i.e. those resulting from insufficient intake relative to nutritional needs and those resulting from excessive and unbalanced intake of food or a particular dietary component • The main problems in Africa and elsewhere in developing countries pertain to the first group. One of the principal aims of nutrition education must therefore be to provide people in rural and urban areas with adequate information, skills and motivation to procure and to consume appropriate diets 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 3 Introduction… • Such education should cover improvement of family food supplies and more efficient utilization of available food and economic resources to provide nutritious diets and better care for the most vulnerable groups • Nutrition education is essential for promoting healthy eating habits, preventing chronic diseases, and supporting overall health and well-being. It can be tailored to specific populations, such as older adults, who may benefit from learning about physical activity in addition to nutrition 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 4 What is nutrition education? • Nutrition education is a process by which we assist people in making decisions regarding their eating practices by applying knowledge from nutrition science about the relationship between diet and health. • Nutrition education is a process that aims to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to make informed decisions about their diet and overall health • Nutrition education is not just learning about foods and nutrients, but learning what to do and how to act to improve nutrition. • Nutrition education is the process of imparting and sharing knowledge and skills so as to create change in food related behaviour. Nutrition education provides people with correct information on the nutritional value of foods, nutritional requirements, methods of preservation, food preparation and eating to help them make the best choice of foods for adequate nutrition and health. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 5 What is nutrition education? In its broadest sense, nutrition education is “any combination of educational strategies designed to facilitate voluntary adoption of food choices and other food- and nutritionrelated behaviours conducive to health and well-being; . . . it is delivered through multiple venues and involves activities at the individual, community, and policy levels.” This definition recognizes that many factors influence behaviour; successful nutrition education uses a systematic approach and strategies that include a variety of activities to help the target group make behaviour changes. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 6 Introduction-Defn. • It’s a process of imparting nutrition knowledge and skills to modify or change behaviour. • Changing behaviour is to; • Create change in food related habits • Influence groups, communities or individuals to eat the right amount of food • To adopt practices geared to maximum contribution to health 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 7 Definition cont.… • To create behaviour change requires a facilitator/nutritionist, a target group (individual, group or community), a communication system • You need to plan a nutritional activity or programme and also to evaluate nutritional activities 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 8 What is behaviour ? • Behaviour is the manner of behaving or conducting oneself. • Behaviour is the way in which an animal or person acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus. • Many factors affect one’s behaviour. Thus what may seem as irrational behaviour on the part of an individual or community can involve deliberate and rational decisions based on the individuals own perceptions of their situation and needs. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 9 Behavioural intention and enabling factors 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 10 Goal of nutrition education • The goal of nutrition education is to reinforce, modify and manage food choices, specific nutrition-related practices or behaviours to change habits so that individuals improve their health; this is done by creating a motivation for change among people, to establish desirable food and nutrition behaviour for promotion and protection of good health. People are given help to learn new information about nutrition and to develop the attitudes, skills and confidence that they need to improve their nutrition practices. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 11 Components of Nutrition Education • Nutrition education programmes should have at least three components which should be directed at the various social groups; 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 12 Compts of Nutrition Education • Increasing the nutrition knowledge and awareness of the public and of policy-makers • This can be achieved by providing information on the relationship between diet and health; the relationship between nutritional and health status and individual productivity and national development; the nutritional needs of the population and of individuals; the importance of ensuring the quality and safety of the food supply; the causes and consequences of nutritional disorders; and the benefits of food labelling and legislation. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 13 Comp’ts of Nutrition Education • Promoting desirable food behavior and nutritional practices • This can be achieved by providing information on the nutritional value of foods; the components of an adequate diet; making appropriate food choices and purchases from available resources; hygienic food preparation and handling of food; storage, processing and preservation of food; and equitable intrahousehold food distribution according to the nutritional needs of family members. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 14 Cont… • Increasing the diversity and quantity of family food supplies • This can be achieved by providing information on methods of improving food production; crop selection and diversification; proper storage, preservation and processing; conservation of nutrients during food preparation; and the prevention of food waste. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 15 • Each of these components makes a special contribution to nutritional improvement. All three are important and need to form part of nutrition education and training programmes for personnel in agriculture, education and health in African countries 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 16 Goal of Nutrition Education • The goal of nutrition education is to reinforce specific nutrition-related practices or behaviours to change habits that contribute to poor health; this is done by creating a motivation for change among people, to establish desirable food and nutrition behaviour for promotion and protection of good health. People are given help to learn new information about nutrition and to develop the attitudes, skills and confidence that they need to improve their nutrition practices. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 17 Cont… • Nutrition education empowers learners/nutritionist to develop capacity to be able to plan, implement, supervise, monitor and evaluate nutritional activities 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 18 • Successful nutrition education often entails the active participation of the people, their awareness of their nutrition problems and their willingness to change. To be effective, a comprehensive nutrition education programme also requires intersectoral collaboration among different professionals (in agriculture, education, health and communication) and should be based on a well-planned communication strategy, often using a multimedia approach. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 19 Role of nutrition educators • To prepare nutrition education curriculum/outline or guidelines to be followed • To design appropriate methods to be followed • Identify needs, problems and find ways of solving them • Implement, supervise, monitor and evaluate the activities ,projects and programmes 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 20 Objectives of nutrition education • Formulate aims of nutrition education • State roles of nutrition educator • Describe characteristics of a nutrition educator • Identify different approaches of imparting nutrition information • Plan, implement, supervise, monitor and evaluate nutrition activities, programmes or projects 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 21 Role of nutrition education • Aids in planning proper interventions to the nutritional problem • Assist in identifying nutrition related problems, needs, their causes and how to prevent them • It sensitizes communities about the need for good nutrition • It improves the nutrition status of the communities • Encourage good eating eating/ feeding habits 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 22 Cont… • Convinces the community to drop negative habits • Encourages people to grow and eat locally available foods • It dispels food myths • It equips people with knowledge and skills about food and nutrition • It’s a source of information and a tool for training health workers to educate the community 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 23 Cont.. • However, a nutrition educator faces challenges as a community nutritionist such as • High level of illiteracy in the country/community • Resistance from the people e.g. failure to convince the community on the need to adopt good nutrition practices • Over dependency on foreign aid • limited government commitment and policy making • Uncooperation from local leaders in the community • Language or communication barrier 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 24 Challenges… • Poor transportation and infrastructure development • Inadequate resources and general poverty • Political interference • Failure to develop clear messages by the community nutritionist • Etc. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 25 Measures to address the challenges • The community educator should plan well • Should know well the culture of the people • Should be presentable or knowledgeable • Should have good mobilization skills • Should be able to lobby for funding • Should have respect for the people • Should be able to visit the community prior to the work • Should be able to deliver the information • Etc. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 26 What is nutrition advocacy? • Nutrition advocacy is the process of talking for and about important nutritional matters to decision makers in order to influence and facilitate eventual change in their attitudes, practices and or policies. Nutrition advocacy can also mean supporting a specified nutritional cause. It is done by speaking publicly in favour of nutrition matters. • Effective advocacy is essential for meeting global targets for nutritional problems. • Concerted, well-planned and well-implemented advocacy can bring significant achievements, even in short period of time. However, there is a need for much stronger investments in strategic and operational capacities for advocacy, including the human, organisational and financial resources. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 27 What is nutrition literacy? One of the ways of understanding some of the reasons behind the nutrition related problems and behaviours among individuals is by assessing their nutrition literacy. Nutrition literacy can be defined as the degree to which people have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic nutrition information. Nutrition literacy can be classified into three levels namely Functional nutrition literacy: basic reading and writing skills necessary to understand and follow simple nutrition messages. Interactive nutrition literacy: more advanced literacy which includes the cognitive and interpersonal skills needed to manage nutrition issues in partnership with professionals. Critical nutrition literacy: ability to analyse nutrition information critically, increase awareness, and participate in action to address barriers. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 28 Assignment 1. 2. 1/16/2024 What is nutrition advocacy and explain is its role Why is it that many nutrition education programmes do not succeed in improving nutrition status in Uganda joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 29 Problems of nutrition education in the past • The advise was not practical or appropriate for the audience because the messages were decided by government nutritionists in offices and not in association with communities • Educators told people what to do instead of discussing with people what they might be able to do • Nutrition education was not given to men but only to women yet women alone cannot remove the causes of nutrition problems • Nutrition educators were poorly trained. They learned about nutrition but not enough to help people learn • Nutrition education received less money and support 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 30 How can we make nutrition education more effective • Know which sorts of problems nutrition education might solve • Lack of information • People not using their resources in the most effective way • People living in new or at risk situations which they have not learned to cope with 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 31 Cont.… • Link nutrition education with programmes and services • Plan nutrition education with the community • Who needs to learn and what they should learn • From whom they can learn best • Where and when they should learn 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 32 Cont.… • Make sure that the nutrition workers of all sorts give consistent information. Because of the difference sources of information people are exposed to • Spread information in different ways • Use participatory methods • Set a good example 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 33 Facts for Nutrition education • A fact is a statement about something which is true. A fact is a bit of information. Nutrition facts are bits of information about nutrition e.g. all children need vitamin A to have health eyes, lack of iodine causes goitre, sick children need to eat often or they lose weight. • Nutrition workers need to know the facts or information which can help remove blocks of on the food paths and improve nutrition in the areas where they work • All nutrition workers in the area should agree on these facts 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 34 Facts and messages • Facts are different from messages. Messages tell people what to do and why. For example; • Fact- dark green leafy vegetables contain more vitamin A than cabbage • Message- give your family dark green leafy vegetables instead of cabbage because they contain more vitamin A which keeps eyes healthy 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 35 Cont. .. • Fact-sick children need food often or they lose weight • Message- Give sick children soft food every 2-3hrs to prevent them losing weight 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 36 Methods of facilitation • Lecture • Demonstration • Focus group discussions • Exhibition • Role play • Workshops and seminars • Story telling • Field trips • Case studies • Home visits 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 37 A facilitator should be…. • Receptive • Resourceful • Realistic • Responsible • Innovative • Respectable • Reliable • Reformative • Reasonable • A good communicator • Etc. 1/16/2024 joseph.kungu@mihs.ac.ug 38
