Development and Evaluation of an Internet-Based Diabetes Nutrition Education Resource

Abstract

Nutritional education for pre- and type 2 diabetes empowers individuals to make positive dietary and lifestyle choices. As the world migrates to digital devices, opportunities arise for education resources to reach a broad spectrum of society. This study aimed to develop and test the effectiveness of an electronic nutritional education resource for people with pre- and type 2 diabetes within the multi-ethnic New Zealand population. A needs assessment was conducted via ethnic-specific discussion groups (n = 29), followed by a population-based online survey (n = 448). An educational resource, including an educational video and pre- and post-questionnaires, was developed and tested online among 156 participants (17 with pre- and type 2 diabetes, 118 interested lay public and 21 health professionals). There was a strong desire to learn nutrition through simple, visual, practical, and culturally appropriate online educational resources. After interacting with the educational resource, the accuracy of identifying foods that increase blood glucose concentration improved by 17.4% (p = 0.013) in people with pre- and type 2 diabetes, 12.8% (p = 0.003) in health professionals, and 16.3% (p < 0.001) in interested lay public. There was an improvement among ethnic minority participants of 14.1% (p = 0.003). Most participants expressed intentions to make positive dietary and lifestyle choices. The electronic nutrition education resource was found to be an effective means for delivering education. It has potential to bridge the gap between the limited supply of healthcare resources and the increasing demand for diabetes nutrition education.