Weighing in to the literacy debate: the role of ICTs for weight management NHS Research Ethics Committee: 07/Q1907/54 Audrey Marshall

The Net.Weight study DH funded – two years Investigating the potential for increased, innovative and effective uses of ICTs in the self-management of weight The role that information and ICTS play in weight management The role that they might play after an intervention – participatory learning workshops Local focus – city of Brighton & Hove i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Net.Weight team members i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Intersection of health policy agendas i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Intersection of different literacies i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Net.Weight study: Complex study Inter-linking research strands User mapping (survey) Learning workshops Evaluation i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

The Net.Weight user survey Questionnaire: Your health Managing your weight Information and support for weight management Use of computers and the internet Demographics Target group: Over the healthy weight for their height Taking steps to lose weight A resident of Brighton & Hove Aged 16 or over i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Survey distribution NHS – GP practices – Clinics Public libraries Community venues Commercial outlets – Pharmacies – Rosemary Conley fitness classes – Employers via Occupational Health staff i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Usefulness of Information Sources i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Use of the internet to support weight management i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Information skills i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Skills in using the internet for weight management i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Participatory Learning Workshops i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Net.Weight.Community i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project Community website for the Net.Weight projectNet.Weight project Welcome to the Net.Weight community

Information guided tour National flagship site Local site i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Evaluation skills Evaluation tools Common sense Presentation Factual nature Authority Commercial sites i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Interviews: information behaviour Changes in information behaviour – Specific websites e.g. carbohydrate content – “the one area that I did sort of notice a change was in researching recipes, and the way to do that” (Amanda) – “Well I … go to the net, you know to BBC, and I’ve put in the Net. Weight things and I go through there and see what’s what” (Sandy) i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Interviews: evaluation skills Changes in evaluation skills – Intuitive: “You look at it and think well this is a load of rubbish”(Olivia) – “I’m more specific in what I attempt to find out. I’m more focused when I’m doing weight loss things. I’ll be specific and find out what I originally set out to find out” (Virginia) – “well they made me more wary, you know, before maybe I would have just read something and thought ‘oh that sounds good and just gone ahead’, but now I sort of think, you know, ‘well should I…you know, do I know enough about it’?” (Isabelle) i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Interviews: Interactions with healthcare professionals Negative interactions Too busy Resistant “Yes, but she’s… she’s a lovely doctor but she doesn’t like you, you know, coming there with things that you’ve read about, you know, she doesn’t like that at all” (Isabelle) Some positive: ‘not just taking my word for it any more…which is good’ i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Interviews: Trusted sites Presentation “I mean I love that website for the BBC… I don’t know, I just think it’s so well laid out, and so easy” (Natasha) Authority – The NHS, BBC, Local Authority “…if you’re going via the NHS, the BBC, the Net.Weight, you’re not going to be misguided” (Alex) Commercial sites “I do avoid the ones that ask me for money up front before I do anything” (Sasha) i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Impact “I went mad with the internet and the laptop for those first couple of workshops, trying to explore and extract all that information… it has sort of, it’s given me another dimension to my life really” (Alex) i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Impact “If I hadn’t have done Net.Weight I would never, ever have gone anywhere near a computer, I know that … that’s the two good things, I’m losing weight and I’m on a computer, and I think at the beginning I was not losing weight and I was not using the computer, so come on, you’ve got to say that’s to the good” (Natasha) i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project

Implications of the findings Health information policy – people use a range of sources – People need specific information – The role of healthcare professionals – What makes people trust information – Importance of social support Contribution to information literacy theory i3 ConferenceNet.Weight Project