Nutritional intervention workshops in a health-promotion service of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Objective To assess workshops as a nutritional intervention strategy, focusing on the transmission of nutrition information and perception of dietary changes. Methods The participants of this intervention study were users of a public gym (Academia da Cidade) in Belo Horizonte Minas Gerais. Four 30-minute workshops were held, one a month, based on the Brazilian Food Guide and Ten Steps to Healthy Eating. Questionnaires were administered to assess the participants' nutrition knowledge before and after the workshops, investigate perceived changes in dietary habits three months after the intervention, and identify the main difficulties associated with changing eating habits. One observer found the workshops viable. Results The number of participants in the workshops ranged from 71 to 132. The mean age of participants was 55.8 +/- 10.6 years, and 80% were females. The number of correct answers in the questionnaires increased significantly in three of the four workshops. Moreover, 90.9% of the participants referred changing at least one eating habit, especially reducing the intake of oils, fats, and deep-fried foods (29.5%), and increasing the intake of fruits and non-starchy vegetables (22.5%). Reducing the intake of sugar and sweets was reported as the hardest recommendation to follow (21.1%). The observer believes another area should be made available for the activities because, among others, the current area was too noisy. Conclusion The intervention has the potential of increasing participants' knowledge of nutrition and promoting dietary changes. These changes need to be better assessed as the workshops continue.