Perspectives on a Local Food Access and Nutrition Education Program from Cooperative Extension Nutrition Educators

Innovative programming is needed to improve diets among low-income individuals. Incorporating a healthy food access program within existing Extension community nutrition education programming at the local government level may be an effective approach to improve access and eating behaviors. Program development should be informed by the community nutrition program educators (herein educators) who would implement this type of program. We sought to understand educators’ perspectives as part of a formative evaluation to guide the development of a program a * Corresponding author: Jared T. McGuirt, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; 339 Stone Building; Greensboro, NC 27412 USA; +1-910-249-2296; jtmcguir@uncg.edu b Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, PhD, Professor, Department of Public Health, East Carolina University; +1-252-744-4034;