April 22-24, 2021
Promoting Equity in Health Communication Research
Promoting Equity in Health Communication Research
Abstract: Prioritizing Theory & Health Comm for Nutrition Behavior Change: A Post-hoc Assessment of the Un Oeuf Project in Burkina Faso
From July 2018 through May 2019, researchers conducted a nutritional intervention in Burkina Faso to encourage child egg consumption, in hopes of improving dietary diversity and contributing to improvements in widespread poor child nutrition. The intervention was highly successful in catalyzing egg consumption among young children, and published findings suggest that communication and practically applied behavior theory helped advance positive behavior change. Thus, the purpose of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the communication strategy and behavior theory that informed this intervention. Researchers used qualitative research methods to analyze data from group interviews (GI) data, community concept drawing, trainer feedback regarding community reception, and promotional materials to glean theoretical links between behavior theory and principles of social marketing. Findings highlight the value of engaging a culturally-centered communication approach to: 1) broker strong engagement and community buy-in through change agents, 2) build on theoretical knowledge to diffuse innovation, 3) develop culturally-tailored branding and promotional materials with durable flip books and a memorable intervention slogan, 4) and institutionalize behavior change through training and integration of an accessible nutrition source. Findings from this study underscore the significant role communication can play in improving behavior change-based efforts to improve animal source food consumption. The intervention and subsequent research findings help contribute to growing, transformational knowledge of best practices in the field of nutrition and create opportunities for successful replication in other communities.