Module 11

Nutrition Education and Counselling: Behavioral Change.

Nutrition education defined as any set of learning experiences designed to facilitate the
voluntary adoption of eating and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to health and well-
being. It is an integral part of providing nutrition services to older persons. Nutritional counselling
is an health professional with special training or in short a nutritionist helps people make healthy
food choices and form healthy eating habits.
Behavior Change Communication
Communication strategies you can use to help people in community to be responsible
for their health, Systematic behavior change is important and improving nutritional status of
people who is under our care, and it influences the action of families and communities promotes
nutritional improvements. Patient are carefully separated in groups and via communicate,
segmentation refers to targeting key message to the relevant audience at the relevant time to
ensure that people get the info that is most relevant to them as what they need.
Stages of Behavior Change
Behavior change communication is more than just education, aims to change behavior
and practice.
Step 1 Pre – awareness, at this stage people are not even aware of the changes that they need. To make
them become a person who has awareness, by giving them information to make sure that the person
who is being educated will change their action, practice, or behavior. Before this stage mother should
know the importance of breastfeeding during the first 6 months.

Step 2 Awareness, at this stage person should need to change their behavior. But needs extra help and
persuasion to start the changes. At this stage mother should aware the need for breastfeeding during
the first 6 months but not thought of doing it to her baby.

Step 3 Contemplation, this person contemplating (think) about to change their behavior, needs more
info and continued support and persuasion about the advantages and disadvantages of changing their
behavior at this stage more info about benefits of exclusive breastfeeding is compared to other types of
feeding.

Step 4 Intention this stage the person has understood the advantages and disadvantages of changing
their behavior but is not sure how they can bring about the new behavior for themselves. Person should
have encouragement to overcome the obstacles of how to do the new behavior. At this stage mother
should worried about breastfeeding due to her work or another reason. Show her expressing breastmilk
so baby can be fed while she is at work.

Step 5 Trial person has tried behavior or action required but it faces difficulties. At this stage the mother
shows difficulty by breastfeeding her baby, she needs support from others by complementing her. To
prevent the problem is important so she can overcome her problems. At this age the mother may
inadequately breast milk output and think that her breast milk is not enough for the baby.

Step 6 Adoption this stage demonstrates a new behavior and need to reinforce their behavior and
sustain the changes. By encouraging or praising the mother to breastfeed the baby.

Step 7 Maintenance this stage person should change their understanding the benefits of the change and
should support any difficulties.

Step 8 Telling others in this stage the person embodied themselves a new routing behavior by
convincing others benefit of their health related behavior.

Stage of behavior Action needed Communication Strategies

Pre – Aware (never having
heard about the behavior)
Aware (having heard about the
new behavior and knowing
what it is)
Contemplation and intention
(thinking about new behavior)
Trial ( Trying new behavior out )
Adoption ( demonstrating the
new behavior)
Build awareness and provide
information
Give more information, discuss
benefits and persuade
Persuasion and encouragement
Negotiate the best way of
overcoming obstacles
Further discussion on the
benefits to ensure the behavior
continues
Drama, songs, individual
counselling, community groups
Group discussion or talks,
counselling cards
Group discussion or talks,
individual counselling,
counselling card
Home visits, group activities for
family and the community
Encourage and praising,
Emphasizing the importance of
the behavior
Maintenance (continuing to do Discuss benefits, provide Congratulate mother and other
new behavior or maintaining it) support at all levels family members as appropriate
Telling others Praise and reinforce the Reinforce the benefits, praise
benefits and give support