Using Focus Groups to Assess Nutrition Education Needs for Pregnant and Lactating Women in Korea

Although nutrition education for pregnant women is important, few such programs have been carefully examined from the participants' perspective in Korea. Focus groups were used to identify 1) perceived eating behaviors during pregnancy and lactation, 2) factors associated with healthy eating behaviors, and 3) needs for nutrition education programs. Using a trained moderator, we conducted 7 focus group interviews with 44 pregnant women over a four-month period. Focus group discussions were video - and audio - taped, transcribed and categorized by major themes. Participants expressed interest in receiving nutrition education regarding healthy eating, weight control after delivery, weaning foods and health management, yet they showed little interest in breastfeeding. The majority of them said that meal balance and meal regularity were the most important components of good health during pregnancy. They were less likely to be confident about taking dietary supplements, including Oriental medicines. life stress and poor appetite associated with pregnancy were major barriers to healthy eating habits during pregnancy. The most important sources of nutrition and health information were friends and family members, especially those who had become pregnant recently. Qualified educators and reliable information appeared to be the most important aspects of program development. Regarding types of nutrition education, participants tended to prefer a combination of individual counseling and small group education with hands-on materials and interactive formats. The use of Web-based nutrition education was well received Major concerns about Web-based nutrition education were authenticity, tailored messages and interactive formats for sharing information. These results offer useful information for designing nutrition education programs for pregnant and lactating women in Korea for health promotion.