Participatory video for nutrition training for farmers in Malawi: an analysis of knowledge gain and adoption

Abstract

This paper explores how participatory video can improve the knowledge and adoption of nutrition and food preparation practices among smallholder farmers in Malawi. Using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design, this study found that the participatory video method improved the participants' knowledge as much as the traditional demonstration method. Short-term adoption tests were carried out 7--10 days after the training. The extent of short-term adoption of the technique varied by the training topic. For egg-coated nsima, the overall short-term adoption rate was a little over 60% across the groups, while the rate for egg-coated pumpkin flower was around 32%. This rate for the former practice was significantly lower in the video group (50.9%) than in the traditional demonstration group (75.6%) mainly because the participants were unable to taste and smell the food during the video training. The adoption rate for the latter practice was similar between the two groups.