Improving Communication about Food and Nutrition
               in Health Care Settings:
      The Development of e-Communication Tools

   Sverre Pettersen, Anne Marie Lilleengen, Laura Terragni, Lisa Garnweidner and
                                 Annhild Mosdøl

      Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences



        Abstract. It is well documented that marginalized populations in Europe have a
        higher share of health problems, including obesity and diet related diseases.
        These groups may struggle to understand health messages and interact with the
        health care system in an efficient way. Low health literacy skills have been
        associated with higher risks of developing disease and receiving poor treatment.
        Barriers in the health communication can be related to the health care workers’
        use of difficult medical terms, reliance on written information material, lack of
        appropriate tailoring to the person’s practical situation or cultural preferences,
        or the person may simply have difficulties with understanding the language
        (i.e., immigrants/minority groups). Use of visual material and demonstration of
        relevant practical skills accompanied by simple language have been shown to
        give better compliance with health promotion and disease prevention messages.
        In this Norwegian research project, picture material, demonstration videos, and
        key messages appropriate for multicultural user groups are being created (in a
        cultural sensitive perspective). In parallel, frameworks for health and nutrition
        communication strategies are developed so that health care workers can make
        use of these approaches when counseling about food and nutrition towards
        minority groups receiving antenatal care and/or visiting Mother and Child
        Health Clinics. The visual material can be further developed into e-
        communication tools, which are tailored to special needs of vulnerable target
        groups, as for instance persons with low health literacy skills.




Copyright © 2013 by the paper's authors. Copying permitted for private and academic purposes.

In: H. Gilstad, L. Melby, M. G. Jaatun (eds.): Proceedings of the European Workshop on Practical Aspects
of Health Informatics (PAHI 2013), Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, 11-MAR-2013, published at
http://ceur-ws.org