Nutrition education: Promotes consumptions of different food varieties rather selling them. The aim is to improve practice related to consumptions of nutrient dense food source and has been successful introducing home gardening and new agricultural methods to increase the availability of nutrient rich food sources. Intensifications of horticultural activities need to be supported by nutrition education to create awareness. 

The viability of nutrient rich food source additional to consumption provides income generating activities used mainly for purchasing food. Nutrition education can be institutionalised which is carried through schools and health facilities.

Community mobilisation is the process of creating awareness for individuals, groups and the community doing certain activities with voluntary participation for preventions of nutritional deficiency problems.

Advantage of nutritional education

• Sustainability.
• Preventive.
• Increases community involvement to solve nutritional problem.
• Could address the real causes.
• Seasonal shortage of food can be addressed.

Community-based nutrition behaviour change

The aim of community-based nutrition (CBN) behaviour changes communication is improve feeding and dietary behaviour that is compatible with growth, development, longer health survival and productivity.

Therefore promotions of essential nutrition action, food-based approach to increase the production and consumption of a wide range of nutritious food. The community must practice balanced and healthy diet.

Behavioural change communication) (BCC)

As a health extension worker, there are different communication strategies you can use to help your community to be aware of their health. BCC is an important way of improving the nutritional status of women and children who need care. 

The BCC strategy influences the action of families and communities. Also, it considers individual health beliefs, their practice, promotes nutritional improvement, address local traditions and household activities. During nutrition counselling, the target audience and message at the relevant time must be segmented. For example, during pregnancy, it is better to talk about maternal nutrition and breastfeeding rather talking about complimentary feeding.

Stages of behavioural change: as a health extension worker you have to identify the person‘s behaviour or habit to be modified to have a positive impact on the person‘s health. Different steps must be exercised to change the behaviour of peoples.

• Stage 1. Pre- awareness: at this stage, people are not aware the change that they need to make aware you need to give him information but needs the influence to start to bring about the change. A mother not knows the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.
• Stage 2. Awareness: the person gets the information they need to change their behaviour but needs extra help and influence to start to bring about the change. At this stage, the mother is aware of the need for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months. But she is not aware of practice it for baby.
• Stage 3. Contemplation: at this stage, the person needs more information about the benefit of the change (the mother needs about exclusive breastfeeding compared to other forms of feeding needed as well as encourage that show you understand the mother's situation
• Stage 4. Intentions: at this stage, the person understands the advantage and disadvantage of changing their behaviour but is not sure how they can bring about the new behaviour for themselves. The person needs encouragement to overcome obstacles of the new behaviour. For example, the mother may worry about not being able to maintain exclusive breastfeeding when she is away for work for other social reasons. In this case, you can show her how she can express breast milk preserve for the feed when she is away.
• Stage 5. Trials: the person has tried the behaviour or action required but has faced difficulties. For example, the mother tried to exclusively breastfeed her baby, but she faced some difficulties She now needs support in the form of praise and reinforcement of the benefits. Reinforcing the way of preventing the problem she encountered during exclusive breastfeeding is also important. She needs counselling to overcome her problem. At this stage the mother may have adequate breast milk she thinks that her breast milk is not enough for her baby to feed for six months, she needs to be assisted on proper positioning and attachment and reassure the mother about the capacity of the breast milk to feed the baby for six months.
• Stage 6. Adoption: in this stage, the person is demonstrating the new behaviour they need reinforce their behaviour and sustain the change they have made. The mother has now maintained exclusive breastfeeding. What she needs at this stage is further discussion on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding to reinforce the behaviour and make sure that she continues exclusive breastfeeding for a few weeks and further encouraging and praising emphasis of exclusive breastfeeding for her baby‘s health.
• Stage 7. Maintenance: the person‘s behaviour has changed, and they understand the benefit of the change, but they need support if they face difficulties.
• Stage 8. Telling others: the person has done the behaviour for a considerable length of time is become routine behaviour and leads the person convincing the other about the benefit of their health-related behaviour.

Nutrition behaviour changes communications strategy that uses to change related nutrition behaviours in your community to bring about the practice that promotes better health through optimal feeding practice and improving dietary habit. Using the technique and approaches described in study session 6. (Nutrition communication methods)

Behaviour change communication is more than just education; it aims to change behaviour and practice need at least three contacts to change behaviour which increases awareness and knowledge.

Nutrition behaviour improves communication

Nutrition behaviour change communication is a strategy that you will be able to use to change related nutrition behaviours in your community. Using the techniques and approaches described in this study session you will be able to bring about the practice that promotes better health through optimal feeding practice and improved dietary habits. You will be able to use behavioural change communication (BCC) to teach people about essential nutrition action, most notably optimal breastfeeding and young child feeding practice, the key message about these and also to facilitate the adoption of healthy adult dietary style.

The behavioural change communication activity in your community will involve you educating the community about the broad range of activities including horticultural activities development of fruit and vegetable gardens and use of irrigation and water harvesting system.