Why we eat, what we eat - UN World Food Programme

Why we eat, what we eat: The WFP Social and Behaviour Change Communication Project

The United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) and  Philippines and the Philippine Center for Population and Development (PCPD) conducted a webinar last December 7, 2021 entitled "Why we eat, what we eat?" The WFP Social and Behavior Change Communication Project.

 

Social and behavior change communication is grounded on the interplay of consistent messaging, cultural practices and activities across various channels to bring about positive attitudes and practices of intended audiences. From the webinar, WFP shared their learnings and results on the Better Access of Mothers and Babies on Integrated Nutrition Agenda (BAMBINA) Project.

 

Here are the key takeaways on how the strategy works to achieve programme objectives and inform the development of various food, nutrition, and diet matters- significant  for the foundation of a strong Filipino human capital.

Learn more about social and behavior change communication and how it works to bring about positive changes in social conditions and individual behaviors. 

"Behavior is not an immediate process, especially one that's influenced by a lot of factors, some overwhelmingly big or deep-rooted, takes a long time to change and the best thing to do so is to take one step at a time and break down goals into smaller objectives." -  Vikki Luta, ENGAGE EON Manila

From the deck of Ms. Nook Aboobacker, Regional Social Behaviour Change Communication Specialist, UN WFP - Regional Bureau in Bangkok

Do we choose to eat healthy? What makes it hard to choose healthy?

The brain has evolved to take short cut and simplify decisions.

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

2 Characteristics of the mind:

1. System 1 

Impulsive

Automatic

Intuitive

2.  System 2

Thoughtful

Deliberate

Calculating

Social and behaviour change

As they play off against each other, their interactions determine how we thick. S1 operates often without our conscious control. S2 is responsible for our decision making, reasoning, and beliefs. The relationship between these 2 systems determines how we behave.

From the deck of Dr. Martin Parreno, Programme Policy Officer, UN WFP - Philippines

Strategic planning

Situation analysis: Which food and nutrition-related challenges can and should a health communication address?

• Audience profile: Overall tone of optimism, hope, and joy
• Creative Briefs: Communication strategies focused on thinking, doing, and feeling
• Message concepts: What is the benefit-oriented action that the target audience should take? Message concepts as framework for interpersonal/mass communication campaign

Behavioral Determinants: Mother of Children Under 5

Thinking: To identify other ways to feed children with nutritious meals

Doing: To adjust their way of talking with children and other family members about proper food practices and to attempt practicing other identifies ways in feeding the children

Feeling: To value the importance of childcare beyond 2 years old and to recognize how these newly identified ways could help improve child-feeding

Communication strategies focused on thinking, doing, and feeling

Evaluation Plan: Outcomes for MU5 

Short-Term (3 months): 75% of MU5 will be able to identify at least 3 key messages about how a varied diet is linked to childhood growth and development.

Medium-Term (6 months): 75% of MU5 will be able to communicate to another caregiver at least 1 messages about childhood growth and development beyond the first 1000 days.

Long-Term (12+ months): Increased variety of food given to children and decreased influence of other family members on others child-feeding efforts

SBCC Strategy

Interpersonal, mid-media, social/mass communication (towards strategic use of data)

1. Public policy, multiple sectors, sociocultural structures
2. Religious leaders or traditional healers (RL/TH), key stakeholders (KS)
3. Male influencers (MI) adolescents (A), caregivers (CG)
4. Pregnant and lactating women (PLW), mothers of children under 5 (MU5). women of reproductive age (WRA)
5. Improved knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP)
6. Improves food and nutrition-related behaviors
7. Improved health outcomes 

Key takeaways

1. Evidence generation. varied sources and community involvement
2. Long-term commitment. Understanding the problem, designing the strategy, creating briefs, implementing and monitoring, evaluating  -- all take time
3. Simple is good, feelings are better. Less effort, with emotional pushes and pulls
4. Information in context. Give meaning to information based on context, culture and networks

From the deck of Ms. Vikki Antoinette Luta, Head, ENGAGE EON Manila

Public relations and marketing perspectives / Philippine Trust Index

Key takeaways:

1. The potential use of TikTok / Short videos / Instagram reels from creators with relevant content about health and nutrition, who are experts in the field. 
2. On -ground public trust in the following institutions: church, academe, media, government, NGO, and business. "During a time of crisis, such as the past two years of living with the pandemic, business turned out to be the biggest loser when it comes to the public's perception of trustworthiness, while the other five institutions have been able to gain or maintain the public's trust." - Richard Arboleda, President and COO, The Eon Group
3. Where trust resides. "Identifying the areas where trust has increased or decreased can help institutions get a clearer picture on where they might need to improve their leadership and services to the public." - Pam Enriquez, Head of Tangerine, The EON Group
4. Trust in social leaders. How the pandemic magnified the importance of trust. (% in sumary):
1. Religious leaders 90%
2. Journalists or media professionals 83%
3. Government leaders - National 77%
4. Scientists or medical professionals 77%
5. People in my local community 73%
6. My employer 66%
7. Business leaders 66%
5. Trust in media channels. "Online news sites and social networking sites have seen the biggest jumps in trust level since 2019, though broadcast media (TV, radio) remain the most trusted media channels, Print media (newspapers, magazines), on the other hand, trail behind both broadcast and digital media." - Mori Rodriguez, Chief Innovation Officer, The EON Group. (% in sumary):
1. TV 2019,  80%
2. TV 2021, 92%
3. Radio 2019, 74%
4. Radio 2021, 88%
5. SNS 2019, 51%
6. SNS 2021, 83%
7. Online news 2019, 44%
8. Online news 2021, 78%
9. Newspaper 2019, 63%
10. Newspaper 2021, 77%
11. Magazine 2019, 48%
12. Magazine 2021, 60%
13. Blogs 2019, 33%
14. Blogs 2021, 59%
15. Podcast, 545

Organizers and resource person from the webinar by UN WFP and PCPD

For complete image/screen captures from the zoom webinar, you may access our Facebook page, album: Why we eat, what we eat - UN World Food Programme

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