wichealth.org: Impact of a Stages of Change-Based Internet Nutrition Education Program

ObjectiveTo determine the usefulness and impact of wichealth.org on stage of change associated with 8 WIC client nutrition issues.DesignCross-sectional design. Data were collected through an online survey and via Web pages visited by clients for each module.Settingwichealth.org intervention and data collection are Internet-based.Participants39 541 WIC participants from 7 states completed a module and online survey. Subjects were likely between the ages of 18 and 34, residing in Michigan, Illinois, or Indiana, and accessing the Internet from home.InterventionsIntervention included 5 online modules focusing on parent-child feeding behaviors.Variables MeasuredImpact variables included stage of change movement, user belief in ability to engage in behavior, and perception of site usefulness.AnalysisData were reported using frequency, ANOVA (analysis of variance) (P < . 01), and chi-square (P < .01) analyses.ResultsMovement in stage was greatest for the “picky eater” (PE) module. Contemplation as the beginning stage had the greatest stage movement. Participants responded well to all measures of site usefulness. User belief in ability to engage in behavior was associated with 7 of the 8 modules.Implications for Research and Practicewichealth.org is a highly popular and viable method for impacting movement in stage of change with a number of parent-child feeding issues.