Abstract
Background
Healthy eating blogs are knowledge translation tools used by nutrition and dietetics
practitioners for helping people improve their health behaviors and food choices.
Objective
Our aim was to explore women’s perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of healthy
eating blog (HEB) characteristics that might increase potential users’ intention to
use them as tools to improve their dietary habits.
Design
We conducted qualitative research using semi-structured individual interviews.
Participants
Thirty-three women (mean age of 44 years; range=27 to 61 years) living in the Quebec
City, Canada, metropolitan area were studied.
Intervention
Four existing HEBs, written by French-Canadian registered dietitians (RDs) whose main
objective was the promotion of a healthy diet, were explored by women during individual
interviews. A standardized open-ended interview questionnaire based on the Technology
Acceptance Model was used to identify women's perceptions about characteristics of
type of blog content delivery, RD blogger's delivery of information, blog layout,
and blog design.
Main outcome measures
Women's perceptions toward the contribution of HEB characteristics to the usefulness
and ease of use of those tools to improve their dietary habits were measured.
Analyses performed
Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed through an
inductive content analysis using NVivo software.
Results
The most useful characteristics of type of blog content delivery identified by women
were recipes, hyperlinks, and references. Among characteristics of RD blogger's delivery
of information, most women reported that interaction between blog readers and the
RD blogger created a sense of proximity and of connection that was helpful for improving
their dietary behaviors. Women's perceptions toward various characteristics of blog
layout and design were also discussed.
Conclusions
Incorporating specific characteristics when designing HEBs should be considered by
RDs and future research to promote the use of those tools to support dietary behavior
change efforts of internet users.
Keywords
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Biography
V. Bissonnette-Maheux is a graduate student, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Biography
A.-A. Dumas is a graduate student, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Biography
V. Provencher is an associate professor, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Biography
A. Lapointe is a research coordinator, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Biography
M. Dugrenier is an undergraduate student, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Biography
S. Straus is a full professor, Department of Medicine, Toronto University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Biography
M.-P. Gagnon is a full professor, Nursing Faculty, Laval University, Québec City, Quebec, Canada, and a research scientist, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Centre, Hôpital Saint-François d’Assise, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Biography
S. Desroches is an associate professor, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Québec City, Quebec, Canada, and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Centre, Hôpital Saint-François d’Assise, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 26, 2017
Accepted:
August 10,
2017
Received:
March 13,
2017
Footnotes
Supplementary materials: Table 2 is available at www.jandonline.org
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This study was funded by Knowledge Translation Canada, a network funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
