Development of a Prototype Course Entitled Interactive Motivational Interviewing for Nutritional Experts (iMine)

The breadth of nutrition knowledge is increasing along with our waistlines. While educating consumers about healthy behaviors has overwhelmingly failed, motivational interviewing (MI) has found success across a myriad of health behaviors, including nutrition. In MI, the counselor engages the client in a nonjudgmental way, and helps the client to set realistic goals and build a plan towards meeting those goals.

In our Phase 1 research, we sought to determine the feasibility of training a large number of health educators and dietitians MI through a virtual training. Research results indicated that there is both value and potential for developing a virtual, interactive approach for delivering MI training. In Phase 2, we will test the efficacy of an interactive training on MI, called iMine (Interactive Motivational Interviewing for Nutritional Experts). Our project objectives are to determine whether iMine 1) increases counselor self-efficacy in using MI; 2) increases counselor skill level in MI; 3) increases fact-based learning about MI; and 4) provides MI skills comparable to a 1-day face-to-face MI training.

We anticipate that iMine will increase the nutrition experts' self-efficacy, skill level, and knowledge and will be more effective than a face-to-face training. In a face-to-face training, the instructor must accommodate all participants, with little time for individualized instruction or review. iMine will allow the nutrition experts to set their own pace, guide their own learning, and spend more time perfecting their skills.