Background:
Many American children consume high calorie/low calorie/low nutrition breakfasts and snacks .
School-aged children in California are at risk for numerous health complications given the prevalence of poor nutrition habits . Dairy Council of California launched Pathways, an online digital nutrition campaign, to promote healthier breakfast and snacking habits among site users and their families in winter, 2016 . These digital educational materials are designed to for parents and for use within families and as part of school –based nutrition education programs . Pathways lessons lessons(modules) (modules) focus on improving parent users’ knowledge, attitudes, attitudes, and behaviors relative to planning and creating breakfasts and snacks for their families. Two short, short, interactive modules focused on breakfasts and snacks follow this formula :
1.Aquiz to help parents assess their current level of nutritional literacy in creating breakfast and snack plans
2.A quick attention -getting series of benefits related to healthy breakfast and snack consumption
3.A research -based formula for a healthy, balanced breakfast or snack
4.Links to recipe
5.Interactive breakfast and snack planners, with the option to print
Objective
Under the supervision of Dr .Jennifer Waldeck and with oversight by Dairy Council of California Program Manager Trina Robertson, graduate students in the M.S.in Health and Strategic Communication program and undergraduates in the Corporate and Strategic Communication program in the School of Communication at Chapman University conducted a two -phase evaluation research study to assess the effectiveness of the Pathways initiative.
