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Optimizing Nutrition Education in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Author(s) -
Greenblatt Yael,
Gomez Sofia,
Alleman Gayle,
Rico Karen,
McDonald Daniel,
Hingle Melanie
Publication year - 2015
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.29.1_supplement.687.35
Subject(s) - nutrition education , toddler , focus group , thematic analysis , medical education , promotion (chess) , medicine , psychology , qualitative research , nursing , gerontology , developmental psychology , social science , marketing , sociology , politics , political science , law , business
Research has demonstrated that nutrition education leads to healthier food choices in low‐income populations. WIC provides compulsory nutrition education to clients; however, the most effective way to deliver education remains unclear. The study objective was to explore staff and clients' perceptions of WIC nutrition education. Participants were recruited to focus group discussions from community‐based locations in Tucson, Arizona. Guided by a semi‐structured script, trained interviewers led discussions that were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Ten focus groups were conducted: 4 with current WIC clients ( n= 21 participants), 2 with previous clients ( n= 8), and 4 with staff members ( n= 25). Results suggested WIC staff struggled to discern clients' nutritional interests within limited time. Both clients and staff thought emotion‐based educational tools and handouts were time‐consuming and lengthy. Clients desired brief lists of toddler‐friendly foods; staff and clients suggested updated nutrition education formats (e.g., videos) with proposed topics including food preparation and child eating practices. Implementing the suggested strategies might enhance effectiveness of WIC nutrition education. These findings will be shared with WIC partners to inform changes to nutrition education. This work was supported by a UA Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention & Health Promotion Faculty Seed Grant awarded to Dr. Hingle in 2013.