Effect of a Patient Education Brochure on Dietary Adherence in Primary Care: A Prospective Interventional Study
Simon ABSIL, Sarah CUMPS and Simon VAN HAUWERMEIREN
Nutritional education is a key lever for health promotion. In France, the National Nutrition Health Program provides specific recommendations to support general practitioners in promoting healthy dietary habits. However, patient adherence to these recommendations remains variable and depends on the quality of the informational tools available to them. The brochure “50 petites astuces pour manger mieux et bouger plus" (50 small tips to eat better and move more”) appears to meet the quality criteria defined by the French National Authority for Health (HAS).The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of this brochure on participants’ dietary behaviors.This is an interventional, prospective, and longitudinal study conducted in two general practice offices in the Hauts-de-France region. Participants were recruited in the waiting room and upon the suggestion of the physician or the researcher. They were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their adherence to recommendations using the PNNS-MG score, adapted from the PNNS-GS2 score. Two weeks after receiving the brochure, participants were contacted again to complete the same questionnaire. An additional question was included to evaluate their satisfaction with the brochure, using a scale from 1 to 10.The analyses show a significant improvement in the score after reading the brochure, with a mean difference of +0.9 and a moderate effect size. The average satisfaction score was 8.1 out of 10.There is a significant improvement in adherence scores, and patients appear to appreciate the brochure. There was a large number of participants. The score used was a validated score. However there was a 39% loss-to-follow-up rate, as well as desirability and participation biases.Although the effect size is modest, it should be interpreted within a public health context. Further work to explore potential ways to improve the quality of the brochure would be valuable.
