National Nutrition Month: is the Word Getting Out?

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To determine if consumer magazines communicate information about National Nutrition Month to Americans. National Nutrition Month (NNM) provides the public with basic nutrition knowledge, but who is aware of this campaign and does it have an educational impact on the average American? From a list of the top 200 consumer magazines 47 were chosen because they feature health related articles. These articles in March 1997 issues were determined as NNM articles if they met the following criteria: clear definition of “All Foods Can Fit”, nutrition education announcements, and phone number for additional information. Total column inches devoted to NNM were also measured. Analysis of all issues revealed that only two NNM articles, averaging two column inches, met the defined criteria. Although there were four other articles that did not meet the NNM criteria, they did indicate the importance of eating a well balanced diet. To see if this topic was addressed during a different month, additional issues of the selected magazines were studied. Results indicate that eating in moderation is addressed throughout the year, not due to NNM. The results of this study indicate that consumer magazines are not the best communication channel for educating Americans about NNM.