A perspective on nutrition communication in developing countries: from theory to practice

Though nutrition communities are still far from understanding how to bring science to bear in formulating effective policies and programs, the contributions of nutrition science have provided recommendations leading to ways and means to improve nutrition in developing countries. To transfer these recommendations into successful implementation, effective nutrition communication has played an important role in the development. Nevertheless, its success has been limited due to several factors including the fact that there is likely only a small proportion of professionals who consistently aim to use theory as a tool to guide action. This paper highlights the importance of using theoretical frameworks to guide the design and implementation. Based on Thailand's experience, social cognitive theory and social marketing are suggested for further applications in developing country context. It is proposed that the role of researchers/practitioners should be formed to facilitate nutrition implementation. Issues relating to the creation of supportive structures and environments i.e. quality personnel, capacity building, proper status and reasonable budgets, are also identified.