Evaluation of health education material: adequacy of leaflets on the nutrition of infants

Abstract

A pretesting evaluation of four leaflets on the nutrition of infants from 0 to 12 months of age was carried out. The leaflets were to be used in the Child Care Program of the Department of Health of the state of S. Paulo, Brazil. Fifty mothers and forty-eight auxiliary personnel were interview in 18 health centers in greater S. Paulo (city) to find out if they understood the material and if they thought the recommendations contained were practicable. Three of the leaflets were correctly understood with 80-96% scoring "good understanding" and with 90-100% of the auxiliaries scoring the same. The unfeasibility of the recommendations was also ascertained; 80% of the auxiliaries thought the recommendations unfeasible, to about 50% for the mothers. Some comprehension barriers were identified, and some suggestions were made to reformulatet these points, thus improving the material.