The Effectiveness of a Digital Nutrition Literacy Program on Dietary Behaviors and Overnutrition Among Reproductive-Aged Women

Abstract

 Overnutrition in reproductive-aged women increases the risk of chronic diseases. The development of nutritional literacy through digital technology has the potential to support appropriate dietary behaviors and reduce such risks. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a digital nutrition literacy enhancement program on dietary behaviors and overnutrition in reproductive-aged women using a mixed-methods research approach, which was conducted in two phases as follows. Phase 1 : Program Development by quality study to explore factors influencing success in weght management, using in-depth interviews until data saturation was reached, conducted with reproductive-aged women who had experience in modifying their dietary behaviors. A purposive sample of 15 participants was selected, and data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings identified key factors supporting dietary behavior modification, including self-monitoring, such as using applications to track dietary intake; social support from family, friends, or the community, which enhances motivation; access to accurate and reliable nutritional information, such as websites or applications; and behavioral adjustment to suit lifestyle, such as time management and meal preparation in advance. These factors were used as a guideline for designing activities in the digital nutrition literacy enhancement program, based on the eHealth Literacy Model and the Health Literacy Framework. Phase 2 : The effectiveness study of the program was conducted as a quantitative study using a quasi-experimental research design in a sample of 60 reproductive-aged women, divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 30 participants. The experimental group received the digital nutrition literacy enhancement program, while the control group received general recommendations. Data on dietary behaviors were collected at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. Data analysis was performed using repeated measures statistics to compare changes in digital nutrition literacy scores and dietary behaviors. Additionally, body weight was measured before the intervention and at the follow-up stage. The findings revealed that the experimental group showed a significant increase in digital nutrition literacy scores (F = 8.065, p = .005, η² = .047). Additionally, scores for dietary behaviors aimed at preventing overnutrition significantly improved (F = 21.738, p < .001, η² = .111). At the follow-up stage, the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in body weight compared to the control group (t = 2.33, p = .023, d = .60). These findings suggest that a well-structured digital nutrition literacy enhancement program can effectively support sustainable dietary behavior changes among reproductive-aged women