Evaluation of a supermarket nutrition education program

We conducted and evaluated a 16-week nutrition education program that combined a mass media campaign with provision of point-of-purchase materials in supermarkets. The objective of the program was to increase consumers' knowledge of complex carbohydrates and their use of eight complex carbohydrate foods. We found small gains in nutrition knowledge, especially among those who recalled exposure to the educational materials. We also found some evidence of short-term increases in the usage of certain target foods.     

Evaluation of a USDA nutrition education program for low-income youth

OBJECTIVE: Examine effectiveness of a state's Youth Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and assess the validity of the federal impact indicator method for reporting program outcomes. DESIGN: A randomized, controlled field trial of 229 groups with 5,111 youth, 9-12 years old, in community settings. INTERVENTION: 6- to 8- hour, 7-lesson education experience with food preparation and tasting, an education experience typical of EFNEP in California. OUTCOME MEASURES: US Department of Agriculture (USDA) impact indicators: nutrition knowledge, eating a variety of foods, food selection, and food preparation and safety practices. ANALYSIS: Analysis of covariance model controlling for pretest, gender, age, and ethnicity, with group nested in condition. RESULTS: Organizing responses by impact indicators, treatment participants made significant gains on the posttest compared to controls for 3 of 4 indicators (P < .008 to P < .0001). Gains were made by 34 to 68% of youth participants for 4 indicators. The impact indicator method for federal reporting compared favorably with results from a randomized controlled trial with groups nested in conditions. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This is the first report in the literature of (1) a large evaluation study of Youth EFNEP and (2) an estimate of the validity of the USDA impact indicator method for reporting program outcomes.     

A media literacy nutrition education curriculum for head start parents about the effects of television advertising on their children's food requests

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a media literacy nutrition education curriculum about the effects of television advertising on children's food choices influenced the behavior, attitudes, and knowledge of Head Start parents. SUBJECTS: Participants were a convenience sample of 35 parents from Head Start programs. DESIGN: This study used a pretest-posttest, comparison condition-intervention condition design. INTERVENTION: The 35 parents participated in both a four-week food safety curriculum (to serve as an educational placebo, comparison condition) that was followed immediately by a four-week media literacy nutrition education curriculum (intervention condition). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Evaluation measures included parents' understanding of the persuasive techniques of commercials; ability to distinguish between truths and claims in advertising; and outcome expectations, values, self-efficacy, and behaviors in relation to talking about television advertisements with children while co-viewing or in response to purchase requests in the grocery store. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Paired t tests, analysis of covariance, and chi(2) analyses were used. RESULTS: The media literacy nutrition education intervention curriculum had significant effects in terms of Head Start parents' understanding television advertising (P<.001), attitudes about television advertisements (P<.001), outcome expectations (P<.05), values (P<.01), self-efficacy (P<.001), and TV mediation behaviors (P<.001), and understanding of, and ability to read, food labels (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS/APPLICATIONS: Results suggest that a media literacy nutrition education curriculum can be easily conducted by dietitians. Dietitians can modify the curriculum to teach parents how to critically analyze many other forms of media (supermarket magazines, brochures, newspapers, Web sites) that sell nutrition misinformation to the public.     

Evaluation of an affective-based adult nutrition education program

Nutrition educators have had limited success using cognitive approaches to effect behavior change. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an affective-based program in changing the nutrition attitudes and behavior of a group of adults, using pre-, post-, and retention test measures of nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and dietary behavior. The sample consisted of a treatment group (n = 59) and a control group (n = 58). The treatment group participated in a five-week nutrition course offered at a public health unit. At the conclusion of the program the respondents had improved nutrition knowledge, maintained positive attitudes, and improved reported nutrition behavior. Nutrition knowledge scores rose significantly from the pretest to posttest situations for both groups. However, only the treatment group showed a rise in knowledge scores from the pretest to the retention test. No significant changes in scores occurred on the attitude scale, which measured flexibility-rigidity in nutrition attitudes. Pretest scores were very high for both treatment and control groups, suggesting a possible ceiling effect. Nutrition behavior was measured by 24-hour recalls which were scored qualitatively. The mean behavior scores rose significantly from pretest to posttest and pretest to retention test for the treatment group only.     

Evaluation of Texas' child-care-oriented nutrition education and training program

Five studies were conducted to evaluate changes in child nutrition related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of child care personnel participating in Texas' Nutrition Education and Training (NET) Program. Pre- and post-testing showed that brief (4–8 hour) workshops were consistently effective in promoting positive changes in knowledge and in reinforcing positive attitudes of teachers and food service personnel in licensed child care centers. Mailed surveys and surveillance of user feedback demonstrated that nutrition teaching aids (e.g., posters, curriculum guides) and food service management materials (e.g., handbooks, cookbooks) distributed to child care centers and made available through NET's lending library collection were used at rates that were acceptable but less than ideal. Data from questionnaires completed by the directors of child care centers whose staff had participated in NET workshops (n = 17) and a comparison group of centers (n = 16) indicated that nutrition instruction in preschool classrooms was closer to ideal in the workshop group. Involving food service personnel in learning activities for the children was a relative strength of nutrition education in the workshop group. Problems diagnosed in day-care center menus (i.e., deficiencies in food energy, iron, and variety of fruit) persisted 6 and 12 weeks after the staff participated in a menu planning workshop. The same pattern of menu strengths and weaknesses was observed in a comparison group (n = 20) as in the workshop group (n = 20). When the results of all five studies were combined, the majority of statistically evaluated outcomes were significantly positive and none were negative. Because the program had a greater impact on knowledge and attitudes than on behavior, it was concluded that, in addition to continued support for the NET program, there is a need for expanding the model on which the program is based.     

学生家长营养教育的效果评价

目的:评价营养教育对学生家长营养知识、学生饮食行为的影响,为有效开展营养教育提供科学依据。方法:选择宁夏吴忠地区8所中小学校部分学生及其家长为研究对象,按学校将学生和家长分为干预组和对照组,对干预组定期进行营养知识专题讲座、发放宣传手册等方式进行为期1年的营养教育,干预前后分别对学生家长进行营养知识、学生饮食行为的问卷调查。结果:营养教育后,干预组学生家长营养知识的平均知晓率由65.8%提高到79.6%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),特别是有关维生素A、钙、铁、膳食宝塔等方面知识较干预前显著提高;学生的饮食行为有了一定的改变,经常食用牛奶、蛋类和绿叶蔬菜的人数明显增多,分别为60.2%、44.6%、83.1%,均显著高于干预前(P<0.05);而食用腌制咸菜、油炸食品的人数下降,分别为32.2%、10.5%,显著低于干预前(P<0.05)。结论:学校和家庭共同干预的措施是有效的、可行的。     

Evaluation of the South Carolina seniors farmers' market nutrition education program

The Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides vouchers to low-income seniors for use at local farmers' markets. This study was conducted to determine if SFMNP participants increased fruit and vegetable consumption. A total of 15,000 people from 13 counties received vouchers. A random sample of 1,500 received a follow-up survey, of which 658 (44%) were returned. Of the 98% of respondents who used the vouchers, 531 respondents (83%) did not purchase foods that they had never tried before, but 89% reported the intention to eat more fruits and vegetables year round because of the program. Farmers reported benefits from the program, have a positive attitude about it, and are willing to make certain accommodations to participate in it again. The SFMNP is an effective method for increasing consumption of agricultural commodities from farmers' markets by low-income seniors and is worthy of continued funding.     

Evaluation of a preschool nutrition education program based on the theory of multiple intelligences

This report describes the evaluation of a preschool nutrition education program based on the theory of multiple intelligences. Forty-six nutrition educators provided a series of 12 lessons to 6102 preschool-age children. The program was evaluated using a pretest/post-test design to assess differences in fruit and vegetable identification, healthy snack choices, willingness to taste foods, and eating behaviors. Subjects showed significant improvement in food identification and recognition, healthy snack identification, willingness to taste foods, and frequency of fruit, vegetable, meat, and dairy consumption. The evaluation indicates that the program was an effective approach for educating preschool children about nutrition.     

Development of a health education program for parents of preschool children with asthma

This paper presents the development and pilot testing of a self-management education program for parents of preschool children (0-4 years) with asthma, involving general practitioners, asthma nurses, community nurses and doctors of child health centers. The program intends to integrate education in the medical care provided to the child (and the parent). The program contains four manuals, one for each group of health care providers, and a booklet for parents. The manuals identify the educational tasks per discipline and regulate referral from one discipline to another. The booklet provides written information for parents. In the development of the program, representative from both the target population and the providers of the education were involved in needs assessment surveys. Findings of these surveys were integrated into the design of the program. Then, a pilot study was conducted to test the efficacy of the program during group sessions. Findings indicate that the variables measured (knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and self-management behaviors) improved significantly from pre- to post-test. Finally, the program was revised for the next phase in which the program will be evaluated in primary health care with a controlled trial.     

A pilot study of a pictorial bilingual nutrition education game to improve the consumption of healthful foods in a head start population

The prevalence of early childhood obesity has increased dramatically particularly among the Mexican American population. Obesity leads to earlier onset of related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. The Head Start population of Texas is largely Mexican American. Dietary intake in this population demonstrated a diet very low in fiber, high in salt, and containing excessive calories with a low intake of fruit and vegetables. This study was performed in a Texas Head Start population to evaluate a bilingual pictorial nutrition education game. Acceptance of the bilingual concept and the game had been previously studied in a Head Start population in five Texas counties. The effectiveness in producing a change in eating habits was studied as a pilot project 413 children and their parents at the Bastrop County Head Start. Parents were asked to supply data about at home food frequency at the beginning and the end of the school year and the results compared. The parents were given a demonstration of the educational objectives and the students played the game throughout the year. By the end of the school year there was a statistically significant increase in the vegetables offered to this population both during the week at home (p = 0.009) and on the weekends (p = 0.02).