Extent to which dietitians evaluate nutrition education materials
2000
Tagtow, A.M. | Amos, R.J.
The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which dietitians evaluated the nutrition education materials they used when providing dietary guidance to clients. This study examined the extent to which dietitians evaluated various readability, content, and format characteristics of materials; the barriers they encountered when selecting, evaluating, or developing them; and their perceptions of how adequate the materials were in meeting clients' needs. A 115-item instrument was mailed to a random sample of 350 dietitians. Of these, 223 instruments (64%) were returned, of which 142 (64%) contained usable data from dietitians who used nutrition education materials with clients. The dietitians in this study thoroughly previewed nutrition education materials before providing them to clients; however, a majority reported never using a formal evaluation tool to assist with this task. Although 78% of the dietitians indicated that they always considered the readability level of client materials, 92% reported not using a readability formula. Content characteristics were more frequently evaluated than readability and format characteristics. Barriers included limited budgets to purchase materials and few professional development opportunities to gain skills in evaluating or developing them. Many dietitians believed that the materials they used did meet clients' needs and encouraged healthy dietary behaviors. The results of this study can enhance the delivery of nutrition services, guide professional development, and lead to further nutrition communication research.
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