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Parental perceptions of Rhode Island EFNEP (LB464)
Author(s) -
Asch Patrick,
Gorman Kathleen,
Melanson Kathleen,
Sebelia Linda,
Tovar Alison
Publication year - 2014
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.28.1_supplement.lb464
Subject(s) - curriculum , overweight , gerontology , childhood obesity , perception , medicine , psychology , obesity , medical education , pedagogy , neuroscience
Parental perceptions of Rhode Island EFNEP Patrick van Asch, Kathleen Gorman, Kathleen Melanson, Linda Sebelia, Alison Tovar Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island Childhood obesity in the United States has tripled over the last thirty years. In Rhode Island (RI), 19% of children ages 2 – 4 are overweight and 16% are obese, which is higher than the national average (16% and 12% respectively). The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) targets low‐income households and provides knowledge and skills to improve nutritional well‐being. This project aimed to assess parental perceptions of the RI‐EFNEP curriculum and how it addresses childhood obesogenic behaviors (sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption, physical activity, sleep duration, and screen‐time) using individual face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews. Sixty‐minute interviews were conducted at local community centers with caregivers (n=22) of 2 – 8 year old children who had completed the program. A translator was present for Spanish speaking participants (n=14). Content analysis was utilized to analyze themes coded in Microsoft NVivo 10. Overall, caregivers reported a positive experience with the program and felt empowered to change their families’ health as a result (e.g. consuming more whole grains). In addition to learning about nutrition, they reported being able to improve health behaviors (e.g. increasing physical activity). Suggestions for improving the curriculum included more instruction in label reading, physical activity, media literacy, food demonstrations, portion control, and tips to get their children to be healthier. Although not part of the curriculum, caregivers reported learning little about sleep duration, screen‐time, and physical activity with regards to their children’s health. Since RI‐EFNEP targets at‐risk, low‐income households, the results from this project can be used to tailor the curriculum to focus more on childhood obesity prevention. Grant Funding Source : Supported by the Rhode Island Foundation