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Nutrition Education Improves Food Security of Low Income Hispanic Families
Author(s) -
Algert Susan,
Renvall Marian
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.lb370
Subject(s) - food security , agriculture , business , food preparation , food stamp program , baseline (sea) , nutrition education , environmental health , marketing , food safety , geography , gerontology , food stamps , food science , medicine , economics , political science , archaeology , welfare , law , market economy , chemistry
The objective of this study was to measure changes in the home food environment of food stamp eligible families participating in a series of nutrition and food resource management classes designed to improve food security. This small pilot study conducted before and after food inventories and ethnographic interviews with 5 families to measure success of the classes in improving the quality and quantity of foods at home. Home food inventories were also collected in a control group of 4 families not participating in classes. Families participating in classes improved food security by making the following behavior changes to stretch their food dollars: planning menus, using leftovers, using shopping lists and shopping less often. Participants used savings to purchase additional healthy food. Analysis of the food inventory data indicated that families made the following positive changes in the home food environment after completing the classes: increased fruit and vegetable variety by 30 %, increased the amount of fresh fruit by 30% and increased the use of whole wheat bread by 100%. Control group families were more likely to be single head‐of‐household and had more high–sugar and processed foods in the home at baseline. This research was supported by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.