Abstract
BACKGROUND: The nutritional status of both women and men before conception impacts growth, development, and long-term health of future children. Evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of young adults lack adequate nutritional preparedness for future pregnancy. We have developed a digital resource, PREPARED, targeting young adults' diet, nutrition literacy and dietary behavior that is presently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. The aim of the present study was to examine young adults´ thoughts and experiences following use of the e-learning resource. METHODS: We investigated whether the resource is perceived as useful by young adults (aged 20-35 years) and as practical support for obtaining a healthy diet. Nine young adults consented to participate and were given access to the resource for two months and were then interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique. Using a phenomenological approach the material was analysed by thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: easier to make healthy choices, new justification for healthy eating, and further development. Access to recipes with simple and well-known ingredients and easy-to-read articles with a nuanced and positive focus were decisive factors for inspiration and motivation to change diet. Participants felt the resource saved time and appreciated its positive, informative approach. The emphasis on preconception nutrition was described as both enlightening and unfamiliar. Still, the resource has potential for improvements like navigation on the website, easier recipe portion estimation, and requests for more text to read. CONCLUSION: According to young adults in this study, the PREPARED resource communicates clear and motivating messages about diet, health and the importance of nutritional preconception health for future parenthood. The resource was perceived as nuanced and trustworthy, which was highly valued. Our results inform future iterations of digital health tools or nutrition education programs for young adults.