An Interactive Online Education System for the Supplemental Nutrition Program

Abstract

Public health education is a key component in the variety of services provided by local health departments, particularly for the low-income demographic. In addition to helping the participants to live a healthier lifestyle, nutrition education sessions are a required component of a specific program for low-income mothers and children, entitled the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). However, some women in the Utah County WIC program were not receiving the sessions because the inconvenient class times and scheduling difficulty. With the increasing availability of the internet access by WIC participants, we can increase the availability and effectiveness of the nutrition education by providing courses online via the Utah County's WIC website. We are designing a system consisting of a web interface and a database backend, where health workers can author and publish interactive content, track users' progress, and evaluate the outcome of the courses taken.

Keywords

• Learning Management System
• Health Education
• Nutrition
• Online Courses
• Wic