If You Build It They Will Come: Satisfaction of WIC Participants With Online and Traditional In-Person Nutrition Education

Objective: To examine satisfaction with in-person group and online nutrition education and compare findings based on language preference by Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants. Methods: A total of 1,170 WIC participants were randomly assigned to 2 nutrition education modalities between March, 2014 and October, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA. Logistic regressions compared differences between groups in satisfaction outcomes. Results: Participants in both education groups were highly satisfied regardless of modality of nutrition education (89% and 95%; P =.01). The online group reported a stronger preference for online education than did the in-person group (P <.001). In the in-person group, Spanish-speaking participants were less likely than were English-speaking participants to prefer online education (P <.001). A training video improved access to online education. Conclusions and Implications: Online delivery of education can be an acceptable addition for WIC participants with online access. High-quality online education platforms represent an important avenue to promote continued satisfaction with nutrition education.