Communicating Nutrition
Information
Paige Zaitlin
Tufts University
Web Strategies for Health Communication
My Focus:
• Organizations that communicate sciencebased nutrition information to different
population groups using the web as a primary
means of dissemination.
• Three Organizations:
– Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (USDA)
– International Food Information Council
– Nutrition Source (Harvard School of Public Health)
Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion (CNPP)
What is the CNPP?
• USDA
• Mission: improve the health of Americans
• Develop Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• “link scientific research to the nutrition needs
of consumers”
CNPP: Web Strategy
• Website
– MyPyramid Menu
Planner
– MyPyramid for
Preschoolers
– MyPyramid Tracker
– MyPyramid for Kids
– MyPyramid en Español
– Links to reports
– Personas
•
•
•
•
Podcasts
Videos
Facebook
Twitter
CNPP: SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
•Targets multiple segments of the
population
•All print materials available online
•Good teaching tools: video, PSAs, posters
•Personalized
•Major source of nutrition information
•Personas
•Bilingual
•Good for low income individuals who can’t
afford an RD
•Video only in Windows format
•Not everyone has internet access
•Twitter MyPyramid only has 247 followers
•Website is very busy
Opportunities
Threats
•RSS feeds coming soon for video
•Facebook not optimized
•iPhone app
•Blog
•Other diet planning or sites tracking
activity, meals, and weight loss
•More personalized counseling or support
groups (actually in person)
IFIC Foundation
What is IFIC?
• The IFIC Foundation is the educational arm of
IFIC.
• Mission: communicate science-based
information on food safety and nutrition to
– Professionals
– Educators
– Journalists
– Government officials
– Consumers
IFIC: Web Strategy
• Website
– Reports
– Videos:
– “on the street”
– FAQ
– Personas
– Available en Español
– eNewsletter
– Risk Communication Training
– Tools for Effective Communication
• Webinars/Web Casts
• Twitter
*IFIC states that they are in the process of redoing their website
Kidnetic.com
IFIC: SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
•Bilingual
•Site has clear navigation on the side
•Videos available on the site
•Webinars
•Twitter
•eNewsletter with RSS feeds
•Personas
•Site for kids
•Website is not very visually appealing
•Menus in strange places
•Publications for sale but site does not
work
•No LinkedIn, Facebook
•Only 371 followers on Twitter
Opportunities
Threats
•Webinars could be more publicized
•LinkedIn
•Facebook
•Podcasts could be used with webinars
•Blog
•Other sites that communicate nutrition
information
•Print publications, Peer-reviewed journals
The Nutrition Source
What is the Nutrition Source?
• From the Harvard School of Public Health’s
Department of Nutrition
• Designed to provide a reputable nutrition
source on the web
• Features lots of news from the HSPH
• Gives “need to know” nutrition information
(“the bottom line”)
• Microsite within the HSPH site, also accessed
through http://thenutritionsource.org
Nutrition Source: Web Strategy
• Website
– Nutrition in the News (Harvard news)
– “What should you eat?”
– Weight loss advice
– A unique healthy eating pyramid “that’s actually
based on the latest and best science”
– Recipes for both home and food service
• LinkedIn: Lilian Cheung Cheung (Editorial Director)
• HSPH has a podcast
Their own food pyramid
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
•Well designed website
•Clear and to the point, on a need to know
basis
•Sections with the main points highlighted
•Reputable source
•Link to other reputable sources
•Possibly biased since the news is just from
their institution
•Does not use any other social media
Opportunities
Threats
•Social media: Twitter and Facebook
•Partner with or link to other institutions
•Blog
•BMI and calorie calculators
•eNewsletter
•Focus on children, or other personas
•MyPyramid.gov and other nutrition advice
sites
•RDs and practitioners
•Other university sites and extensions
(http://nutrition.cornell.edu)
Comparison
CNPP
IFIC Foundation
Harvard Nutrition
Source
Website
✓
✓
✓
Bilingual
✓
✓
eNewsletter
✓
Webinars/casts
✓
Videos
✓
Podcasts
✓
Facebook
✓
Twitter
✓
Media Kit
✓
HSPH only
✓
✓
Print Materials
✓
✓
Nutrition News
✓
✓
Personas/customized sites
✓
✓
✓
Recommendations: CNPP
• Facebook
– Optimize, respond quickly to friend requests
• iPhone app
– for MyPyramid Tracker
•
•
•
•
Blog (news?)
Make videos compatible with Mac
Other languages besides Spanish and English
Promote MyPyramid’s Twitter
– Make it more prominent on the site
Recommendations: IFIC
• Website navigation
– not very visually appealing
– Menus in strange places
– Make the findings of the survey more visually appealing or
exciting
• Publications site does not work
• LinkedIn or Facebook
• Twitter is not promoted at all on the site
– Could be used to publicize web casts and research
• Webinars could be more publicized through something
like facebook
• Podcasts could be used with webinars
• Blog or RSS feeds
Recommendations: Nutrition Source
• Social media: Twitter and Facebook
• Partner with or link to other institutions’ nutrition
sites (there are not that many links)
• Blog
– Featuring nutrition experts from Harvard (such as
Walter Willet)
• BMI and calorie calculators
• eNewsletter or email with RSS feeds of news
• Have part of the site geared for kids or for other
segments of the population
• Questions?