Text and graphics: manipulating nutrition brochures to maximize recall

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Educational Psychology
• Nutrition Education

Background:

• Effective communication of nutrition information is crucial for public health.
• Print materials are widely used for nutrition education, but their effectiveness varies.
• Theoretical frameworks like dual-coding theory and the communications model can inform message design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how altering text and graphics in a nutrition brochure impacts content recall.
• To assess the influence of brochure format on memory across different age groups.
• To determine the longevity of memory effects from nutrition print materials.

Main Methods:

• Three brochure formats were tested: abstract text/graphics, concrete text/abstract graphics, and concrete text/graphics.
• 239 women were divided into four age groups (20-70+ years) and randomly assigned to brochure formats or a control group.
• Recall was measured at two sessions, 30 days apart, using content analysis and analysis of covariance.

Main Results:

• Younger women (20-50 years) demonstrated higher recall than older women (60+ years).
• Concrete nutrition education materials improved immediate recall.
• The positive effect of concrete materials on recall was transient, diminishing within 30 days.

Conclusions:

• Concrete text and graphics in nutrition brochures enhance immediate information recall, particularly for younger audiences.
• The memory benefits of concrete nutrition print materials are short-lived.
• Tailoring print materials to be more concrete may improve initial nutrition message uptake, but strategies for sustained learning are needed.