A self-instruction nutrition program for pregnant women

The Prenatal Nutrition Program (PNP), a self-instruction program, consists of a videocassette and three pamphlets concerning nutrition during pregnancy. An evaluation study made PNP available to 52 white, middle-class, well-educated pregnant women in their physician's waiting room. PNP improved their knowledge but had no significant effect on their attitudes (initially very positive) or dietary behavior. On the basis of combined pre- and post-PNP program testing, significant correlations were found between the pregnant women's knowledge and attitudes and between their knowledge and dietary behavior. All subjects rated PNP very favorably. It is concluded that self-instruction programs offer a viable and less costly alternative to individual nutrition counseling.