ERIC Number: EJ1117171
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1932-5037
EISSN: N/A
Evaluation of Traditional and Technology-Based Grocery Store Nutrition Education
Schultz, Jennifer; Litchfield, Ruth
American Journal of Health Education, v47 n6 p355-364 2016
Background: A literature gap exists for grocery interventions with realistic resource expectations; few technology-based publications exist, and none document traditional comparison. Purpose: Compare grocery store traditional aisle demonstrations (AD) and technology-based (TB) nutrition education treatments. Methods: A quasi-experimental 4-month intervention was implemented in rural/Midwest grocery stores (n = 6) with 8 equivalent content/duration lessons. Dietitians engaged shoppers during AD. In-store advertising and Facebook posts recruited TB participants. Data collected included intervention usage and a 1-month postintervention shopper survey. Outcome measures included intervention awareness, touch, engagement, nutrition knowledge, and dietary behaviors. Descriptive survey analysis included Pearson's ?2 and Mann-Whitney U. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Shopper awareness (n = 133) was 64% for AD and 58% for TB treatments (P = 0.54). AD (67%) was the majority of intervention touch (n = 1302). A significant difference in engagement was noted (90% AD vs. 13% TB; P < 0.001). Shoppers reporting 5 or more dietary efforts varied between treatments, 83% AD vs. 42% TB (P = < 0.001). Among AD shoppers, MyPlate knowledge was significantly higher among shoppers who engaged with the AD than those who did not (70% vs. 44%; P = 0.02). Additionally, engaged AD shoppers reported significantly smaller portions and sodium comparison vs. those not engaged (P = 0.009, P = 0.04). Discussion: Both nutrition education treatments elicited similar shopper awareness; however, greater AD engagement suggests consumer preference. Despite equivalent content, TB lessons may not provide equivalent engagement opportunity/experience. Ubiquitous technology warrants further nutrition education research. Translation to Health Education Practice: Interventions with social interaction/tangible experiences, such as AD, may produce higher engagement/intentions.
Descriptors: Food, Retailing, Nutrition Instruction, Rural Areas, Quasiexperimental Design, Intervention, Advertising, Educational Technology, Consumer Education, Knowledge Level, Health Behavior, Dietetics, Consumer Economics, Nonparametric Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A