title: Economic analysis of bilingual interactive multimedia nutrition education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interactive multimedia (IMM) provides a means to deliver accurate, consistent, and convenient nutrition education.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare direct costs of bilingual IMM and peer nutrition education methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cost per unit of nutrition education for each delivery method was calculated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Touch-screen computer kiosk systems in food assistance programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Approximately 727 low-income and Hispanic persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bilingual IMM and nutrition education classes taught by peer educators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cost per unit of nutrition education delivered.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive: to compare costs and determine break-even points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initially, costs for both methods dropped and then nearly leveled for the peer method at a break-even point of 633 units, whereas those for IMM continued to decrease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interactive multimedia is a cost-effective method of delivering nutrition education, especially to large numbers of people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of this technology could reach additional low-income persons at decreasing costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1571, USA.
authors.forename: Susan Martin
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000191:economics*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D019303:Multilingualism; D019212:Multimedia; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000191:economics*