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Evaluating Effectiveness of the Arkansas Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program on Changing Food Resource Management and Nutrition Practice Outcomes
Author(s) -
BriteLane Allison,
Phelps Josh,
Fuller Serena,
Crook Tina,
Hakkak Reza
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.911.7
Subject(s) - checklist , logistic regression , medicine , nutrition education , environmental health , gerontology , psychology , cognitive psychology
Participation in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has favorably improved dietary behaviors of low‐income families; however, Arkansas EFNEP has not been studied. To identify effectiveness of EFNEP on changing Arkansan participants' behaviors, as measured by the EFNEP Behavior Checklist, two domains, Food Resource Management (FRM) and Nutrition Practice (NP), were probed and relationships between specific behaviors and related outcomes explored. Data were provided from 1,927 EFNEP participant entry/exit Behavior Checklists. Results showed good internal consistency in Food Resource Management and Nutrition Practice domains of the Behavior Checklist (αentry=0.708 & αexit=0.779 FRM; αentry=0.757 & αexit=0.791 NP). Significant differences were identified at exit for all items tested by Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests (p<0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis indicated positive change in “running out of food less often at the end of the month” was related to improved behaviors of “shopping with a grocery list” (OR 1.86; CI 1.49, 2.34; p<0.001) and “planning meals ahead of time” (OR 1.35; CI 1.09, 1.69; p=0.008); positive change in “how often participants thought about healthy food choices when deciding what to feed the family” was significantly (p < 0.003) related to improvements in several behaviors. These findings support a positive association between participation in Arkansas EFNEP and improved behavioral outcomes.