Evaluating a nutrition education program for pregnant teen-agers: cognitive vs. behavioral outcomes

A manual-based program of nutrition education for pregnancy and lactation was developed. This program was evaluated in a classroom setting using two measures of effectiveness. A pretest and posttest format was used to assess cognitive outcomes and predietary and postdietary records were used to assess behavioral changes. The difference between cognitive test scores was significant. However, actual dietary improvements were slight and were within the range of normal intake variation. This study emphasizes the need to assess behavior in order to more fully evaluate educational effectiveness. Observations of the study also suggest the desirability of environmental support for the successful translation of classroom knowledge into appropriate behaviors.