Nutrigram: Web-based Nutrition Education for Adolescents

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent reports indicate that adolescents are not following the Dietary Guidelines and are far from attaining the Healthy People 2010 nutrition goals. Most eat too much fat and sodium and inadequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, and calcium. They are snacking more, on less nutritional foods. In addition, there is an alarming increase in the prevalence of obesity among adolescents. These trends are troubling as evidence shows that healthy eating patterns such as those promoted by the Food Guide Pyramid and the D.A.S.H. diet are associated with reductions in chronic disease risk and mortality. Adolescents clearly need help making food choices that are less harmful to their health. While schools are a logical place to provide nutrition education, constraints on teachers' time, compliance with content standards, and the challenge of making learning engaging and educational, limit the utility of traditional nutrition education programs. Klein Buendel submits this application with The Cooper Institute to plan and assess the feasibility of developing NUTRIGRAM(r)- a behavior-based nutrition program for middle school students and teachers delivered with tailored content over the Internet. NUTRIGRAM(r) will be a companion to The Cooper Institute's FITNESSGRAM(r) and ACTIVITYGRAM(r) programs; the most widely used physical activity and fitness interventions in U.S. schools today. This project will (a) utilize nutrition education experts and classroom teachers to plan a theoretically-based eating habits assessment and learning framework; (b) develop a web site schemata, sample storyboards and student assessments to guide the Web site development in Phase II; and (c) obtain feedback on feasibility and usability from school administrators in Denver and Dallas. The preliminary work on the conceptualization of NUTRIGRAM(r) demonstrates that this innovative use of technology and multimedia stimulates learning, reduces barriers to learning, and enables a more personalized educational experience through tailored communication. In Phase II, NUTRIGRAM(r) will help teachers by providing aggregate reports of students' eating habits, lesson plans and activities tailored to their students' needs, and teaching material which meets curriculum standards in multiple content areas. The program will also include a home-use component, to reinforce healthy nutrition behaviors through the support of family members. In Phase III, NUTRIGRAM(r) will be licensed and distributed by Human Kinetics.