Planning, conducting and evaluating a nutrition education programme
A nutrition education programme follows a cycle: assess needs, set objectives, choose methods and aids, conduct it, then evaluate whether practice changed.
The programme planning cycle
- back to Assess needs
Activity: planning and teaching a programme in the community
- 1★Needs assessment: survey the group (e.g. 25 mothers of under-fives in a village) with a short KAP questionnaire, a 24-hour recall and growth records; talk to the anganwadi worker.
- 2Choose the problem and audience: e.g. late start of complementary feeding among mothers of infants.
- 3Write SMART objectives: 'Within 4 weeks, at least 20 of the 25 mothers will prepare a thick ragi-dal porridge and start it at 6 months.'
- 4Plan content: 2-3 simple messages in the local language: when to start, what to give, how much.
- 5Select methods and aids: a short talk with flash cards, a method demonstration with tasting, a role play, recipe cards.
- 6Prepare a lesson plan and logistics: date, time, place, permission, materials, budget, who does what.
- 7Conduct the session: welcome, link to the felt need, teach, demonstrate, let mothers practise, answer questions, summarise.
- 8★Evaluate: post-test of knowledge; observe practice on home visits after 2-4 weeks; compare with the pre-test.
- 9Report and follow up: attendance, photographs, results and suggestions; plan reinforcement visits.
★ one-way, controls the pace
Evaluating the programme
| Type | What is checked | How |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Was the programme run as planned? Attendance, participation, quality of aids | Attendance sheet, observation, participants' feedback |
| Knowledge | Did knowledge improve? | Pre-test and post-test questionnaire |
| Attitude | Did beliefs change? | Agree-disagree statements before and after |
| Practice (outcome) | Did behaviour change? | Home visits, 24-hour recall, observing feeding |
| Nutritional status (long-term) | Did growth or haemoglobin improve? | Weight, MUAC, haemoglobin after some months |
Worked example: scoring the evaluation
25 mothers answered a 10-mark test before and after the programme. Total score before: 100 out of 250; after: 200 out of 250. Before the programme 8 mothers started complementary food at 6 months; after it, 20 did. Find the mean scores and the change in practice.
- Mean score before = 100 ÷ 25 = 4.0 out of 10 (40%).
- Mean score after = 200 ÷ 25 = 8.0 out of 10 (80%).
- Gain = 8.0 − 4.0 = 4.0 marks: the knowledge score doubled.
- Practice before = 8 ÷ 25 × 100 = 32%; after = 20 ÷ 25 × 100 = 80%: a rise of 48 percentage points.
Mean knowledge rose from 4.0 to 8.0 out of 10, and timely complementary feeding rose from 32% to 80%: the programme changed both knowledge and practice.
This is the practical record many colleges ask for: a needs survey, lesson plan, aids, photographs, pre- and post-test and report, done with a real group at an anganwadi, school or self-help group.
2 marks: “What is a pre-test and post-test in nutrition education?” The same questions asked before and after a programme to measure the change in knowledge it produced.
5 marks: “How will you evaluate a nutrition education programme?” Process evaluation; knowledge (pre- and post-test); attitude; practice (home visits, recall); nutritional status; a short example of scores.
10 marks: “Describe the steps in planning, conducting and evaluating a nutrition education programme for mothers of preschool children.” Planning cycle diagram; needs assessment; SMART objectives; content, methods and aids; lesson plan and logistics; conducting the session; types of evaluation; report and follow up.
Assess → Objectives → Methods and aids → Conduct → Evaluate → Revise. 'Always Organise Meetings Carefully, Evaluate, Revise.'