West Virginia WIC Policy & Procedure 5.12 Effective Date: 3/23/2020 5.12

Evaluation of Nutrition Education Materials

1 of 2 POLICY:

The Local Agency will evaluate all nutrition education and breastfeeding materials used in individual and group counseling sessions.

PROCEDURE:

A. Criteria for Evaluation

1. Only items used during individual nutrition counseling sessions and in group nutrition education classes will be evaluated.

2. Materials evaluated by the State Agency are exempt from re-evaluation by the Local Agency.

3. Materials written in languages other than English will be exempt from evaluation because of limited, if any, staff proficient in the language.

4. Materials that are unique to a clinical condition (e.g. gestational diabetes) will be exempt from evaluation because of specificity and limited availability of materials addressing these topics.

5. Materials will be evaluated using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) checklist found in Attachment #1.

6. Reading level should be grade 5 or below when possible.

7. Materials will address topics that fall into allowable WIC Nutrition Education expenditures (e.g. physical activity, food, folic acid, etc.)

B. Role of the State Agency

1. The State Agency will be responsible for evaluating materials provided from the Inventory of the Materials Warehouse.

2. Order forms for nutrition and breastfeeding materials will be updated by the State Agency. Revised order forms will be sent out to each Nutrition Education Liaison and Breastfeeding Coordinator, as appropriate, and maintained on the Local Agency shared drive.

C. Role of the Local Agency

1. The Local Agency Nutrition Education Liaison, Local Agency Breastfeeding Coordinator, or Senior Supervisory Nutritionist will evaluate

West Virginia WIC Policy & Procedure 5.12 Effective Date: 3/23/2020 5.12

Evaluation of Nutrition Education Materials

2 of 2 each material used directly with WIC participants and their parents/guardians. Local Agency developed materials will be sent to the State Agency for approval.

2. The Local Agency Nutrition Education Liaison will maintain one (1) file of completed evaluations as a reference source for educators of WIC participants and their parents/guardians.

3. To facilitate the sharing of information, the Local Agency is encouraged to send a sample copy of the material evaluated plus the completed evaluation worksheet to the State Agency Nutrition Education Coordinator or State Agency Breastfeeding Coordinator for distribution Statewide.

4. The Local Agency staff providing nutrition education for low-risk contacts will tailor or individualize the message for the WIC participant/family.

D. Evaluation Results

1. Materials for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers must not contain formula names or pictures.

2. Ideally materials that fail should not be used directly with WIC participants and their parents/guardians. For materials that fail and are supplied in bulk, continue their use until the supply is exhausted and revise prior to reprinting.

3. For materials that fail only because literacy levels are greater than or equal to the tenth grade, continue to use with a more literate audience.

REFERENCES:

1. WIC Regulations 246.11, Nutrition Education 2. Nutrition Education Research Summary: Message Framing Use of Interactive Technology to Tailor Messages and Intervention Intensity USDA/FNS, Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation, June 2007. 3. Doak C., Doak L., and J. Root. Teaching Patients with Low Literacy Levels, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1996.

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Developing and Assessing Nutrition Education Handouts (DANEH) Checklist, Feeding America website, http://hungerandhealth.feedingamerica.org