Nutrition Education in Primary Care: Comparing Video vs Handout Interventions

Area of Science:

• Health education
• Preventive medicine
• Nutrition communication

Background:

• Dietary modifications, such as reducing sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars, are crucial for managing chronic diseases.
• Patient education in family medicine settings often relies on traditional print materials.
• Innovative educational tools are needed to improve patient adherence to dietary recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of instructional videos versus print handouts in educating family medicine patients.
• To assess the impact of these interventions on patient interest, confidence, and intention to use herbs and spices for healthier meal preparation.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 102 family medicine patients.
• Participants were assigned to either view short instructional videos or read print handouts on using herbs and spices.
• Interventions were delivered while patients waited for appointments, with post-intervention surveys collected via smartphone.

Main Results:

• The video intervention group demonstrated significantly higher scores in interest, confidence, and intention to use herbs and spices.
• Patients perceived the videos as clearer and more appropriately complex than the print handouts (P = 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Instructional videos are superior to print handouts for enhancing patient engagement and promoting healthier cooking practices.
• Video-based education holds potential for improving preventive health behaviors within clinical settings.