Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-mnl9s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-29T20:38:50.190Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nutrition education training of health workers and otherfield staff to support chronically deprivedcommunities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2001

Teresa A Calderon
Teresa A Calderon*
Affiliation:
Nutrition Programmes Service, Food and Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy
*
*Corresponding author:Email teresa.calderone@fao.org
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This paper focuses on the provision of adequate training in nutritioneducation to health and other community development workers fortheir improved performance and achievement. The difficultiesencountered and special care needed when dealing with low-income,chronically deprived communities are raised. A brief analysis ofpast and present trends in nutrition education is presented to showthe progress made from restricted, authoritative and not verysuccessful proposals to more comprehensive and participatoryapproaches. The need to train and update regional and field-levelpersonnel on the new approaches, theories and models offered bynutrition education is highlighted, but the scant availability ofresources for training activities may be a great limitation for thisundertaking. The contribution of educational, social, psychologicaland communication sciences, as well as marketing, in improving andbroadening the performance of health and nutrition education isrecognised. Some successful nutrition education projects,implemented in different regions, using various approaches, havemanaged to improve the nutrition situation of low-income groups andcould be used as good examples to be followed. Recommendations forimplementing nutrition education projects or activities need toconsider some prerequisites, such as good knowledge and analysis ofthe nutrition situation, careful selection of the strategies andmethods, careful planning and implementation, and clear definitionof the procedures and instruments for follow-up and evaluation.

Keywords

TrainingNutrition educationParticipatory approachesDevelopment workersLow-income groups

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 4 , Issue 6a , December 2001 , pp. 1421 - 1424
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2001

References

1 Whitehead, F. Nutrition education research. World Rev. Nutr. Diet. 1973; 17:91–149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2 Hornik, RC. Nutrition Education: A State-of-the-Art Review. ACC/SCN State of the Art Series. United Nations Administrative Committee on Co-ordination/Sub-Committee on Nutrition (ACC/SCN), 1985.Google Scholar
3 Rosenstock, IM. The health belief model: explaining health behavior thorough expectancies. In: Glanz, K, Lewis, FM, Rimer, BK, eds. Health Behaviour and Health Education: Theory Research and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1990;39–62.Google Scholar
4 Johnson, DW, Johnson, RT. Nutrition education: a model for effectiveness, a synthesis of research. J. Nutr. Educ. 1985; 17(Suppl. 2):S1–44.Google Scholar
5 Bandura, A. Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1986.Google Scholar
6 Prochaska, JO, Velicer, WF, Rossi, JS, et al. Stages of change and decisional balance for 12 problem behaviours. Health Educ. Quart. 1994; 13:39–46.Google Scholar
7 Green, LW, Kreuter, M. Health Promotion Planning: An Educational and Environmental Approach. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1991.Google Scholar
8 Kotler, P, Roberto, E. Social Marketing: Strategies for Changing Public Behavior. New York: The Free Press, 1989.Google Scholar
9 Wentling, T. Planning for Effective Training: A Guide to Curriculum Development. Rome: FAO, 1993.Google Scholar
10 Rogers, A, Taylor, P. Participatory Curriculum Development in Agricultural Education: A Training Guide. Rome: FAO, 1998.Google Scholar
11 Travers, KD. Nutrition education for social change: critical perspective. J. Nutr. Educ. 1997; 29:57–62.10.1016/S0022-3182(97)70156-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12 Zeitling, M, Griffiths, M, Manoff, RK, Cooke, T. VI: Household Evaluation, Nutrition Communication and Behaviour Change Component. Indonesian Nutrition Development Program. New York: Manoff International, Inc., 1984.Google Scholar
13 Chidambaram, G. Terminal Evaluation of Tamil Nadu Integrated Nutrition Project. Washington, DC: Government of Tamil Nadu and The World Bank, 1989.Google Scholar
14 World Health Organisation (WHO)/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Improving Child Survival and Nutrition. The Joint WHO/UNICEF Nutrition Support Program in Iringa, Tanzania. Evaluation Report. Dar Es Salaam: WHO–UNICEF, 1989Google Scholar