Manage Abstracts

Synthesized literature has identified that nutrition education can be successfully run by non-nutrition professionals, contingent on the provision of adequate supports. The aim of this proposal is to outline the development of Kick Start Nutrition (KSN), a 12-week food literacy program for adults that is supported by a Registered Dietitian (RD), but designed to be run by fitness coaches employed at a community organization.

Niagara Region Public Health (NRPH) supported a community organization with the development of KSN through curriculum provision and staff training. The NRPH RD used the Evidence-Informed Public Health (EIPH) process model developed by the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) to structure KSN’s planning process.

Systematic approach used: By using the 6S pyramid, synthesized literature was leveraged to ensure program design and content was evidence-informed. The NICE guideline, Behaviour change: individual approaches (2014), was integral to the development of the program design, providing recommendations for steps in the planning process. The curriculum is grounded in a food literacy framework, since increased food literacy has shown to have a marked positive impact on diet quality. A logic model outlined inputs, outputs and outcomes, while the evaluation framework outlined evaluation questions and indicators to be measured during program implementation. Measures taken to increase program sustainability include a focus on building community capacity along with a formative evaluation prior to widespread community implementation.

Moving the dietitian from direct provider of nutrition education to supporting program delivery could be a more effective use of dietetic capacity, particularly for primary prevention programs