JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Ultra-processed foods (UPF) contribute almost 1/5 of the calories consumed by the Brazilian population. This consumption has been favored by aspects such as the ease of acquisition and low cost of this food group. Initiatives focused on supporting and promoting healthy eating practices have been implemented. Among them, the availability of educational resources is an important strategy to maximize the effectiveness of these actions in the field of Food and Nutrition Education (FNE).

Objective:

To describe the development and validation process of animated videos based on the NOVA food classification for FNE actions aimed at Brazilian adults.

Methods:

This methodological study was developed in four phases: Planning, Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. In the planning phase, a literature review was conducted on the topic and to define the content to be covered. The design of the material was based on the cognitive theory of multimedia learning. In the pre-production phase, video scripts were developed and evaluated by seven content specialists. In the production phase, videos were developed based on the assessed scripts and then assessed by three multimedia production specialists. In the post-production phase, the videos were evaluated by fifteen representatives of the target audience. All results obtained in the evaluation phases were analyzed using the Content Validity Index (CVI).

Results:

Three animated videos were developed covering the following themes: Food processing levels, Food categories according to processing levels and Ultra-processed foods and their impacts on health. In the evaluation of the content specialists, the scripts of videos 1, 2 and 3 obtained CVIs at the scale level and average method equal to 0.96, 0.98 and 0.98, respectively. When the animated videos were evaluated by multimedia production specialists and representatives of the target audience, these indexes were equal to 1.0.

Conclusions:

The animated videos developed and validated in this study proved to be adequate for their purpose. Thus, it is expected that they will be an important instrument for FNE actions aimed at an adult audience and for disseminating the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (DGBP).