Nutrition education for student community volunteers: a comparative study of two different communication methods.
BACKGROUND
Nutrition education for student volunteers can enhance their skills, and they can act as change agents in the community. There is a dearth of data from India on the effectiveness of different communication tools in providing nutrition education to student volunteers.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims to examine the comparative effectiveness of two different methods of communication--lectures in the classroom aided by print material, and a televised version of a local folk-dance form--for providing nutrition education to student community volunteers in a South Indian state.


METHODS
Interventions were conducted during two mega-camps of student volunteers (camps 1 and 2) with 70 and 137 participants, respectively. Their knowledge levels were tested at baseline. Camp 1 received the lecture intervention and camp 2 the televised folk-dance intervention. Knowledge scores were measured before and after the intervention in each camp, and the two camps were compared for significant improvements in knowledge.


RESULTS
At baseline, the knowledge levels of students in both camps were comparable. Significant improvement in knowledge was observed in both camps after intervention (p < .05). Although there was no significant difference between the camps in improvement in knowledge, a significant difference was observed when only the positive increments (improvement over baseline) were compared.


CONCLUSIONS
The televised version of the folk-dance form was better in bringing about positive increment.
Vijayapushpam
T
T
National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.
Subba Rao
G M
GM
Antony
Grace Maria
GM
Rao
D Raghunatha
DR
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education*; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires