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The Effects of Nutrition Education on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Food Pantry Clients
Author(s) -
St. Cyr Sarah,
Bruzina Angela,
Linek Madison,
ButschKovacic Melinda,
Lee SeungYeon
Publication year - 2016
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.30.1_supplement.896.17
Subject(s) - nutrition education , medicine , intervention (counseling) , consumption (sociology) , gerontology , environmental health , nursing , social science , sociology
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition education program on increasing the fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) in adult food pantry clients using mixed methods approaches. Methods A quasi‐experimental study was conducted with 47 adult food pantry clients (intervention group, n=21; control group, n=26). The intervention consisted of 4‐weekly nutrition education sessions focused on increasing participants’ FVC. Outcome measures (FVC) and related mediators (self‐efficacy, outcome expectations, and self‐regulation of FVC) were assessed via pre‐ and post‐self‐administered paper surveys. Controls completed the surveys over the same time period, but did not receive the nutrition education intervention. Following the nutrition education classes, photovoice was used to further evaluate the intervention's effectiveness in the intervention group. Results A total of 17 participants completed at least 3 of the 4‐weekly nutrition education sessions. Most of the participants were Black American (83%), middle aged adults (51.5±10.6), with a high school education or less (79%). When compared to baseline, whole fruit intake significantly increased in those who received the education (p<0.05). No significant change was found in the control group. In addition, the change in whole fruit consumption of the intervention group was significantly different from that of the control group (p<0.05). No significant changes were observed in the vegetable consumption or mediators in either group. The themes from photovoice revealed that participants receiving the education had applied skills from the classes to overcome some of the barriers they faced with respect to FVC. The photos and explanations also showed the potential broader impact of the education. For example, many participants indicated consuming a healthier diet beyond increasing FVC and most felt that these behavior changes had a positive impact on their families as well. Conclusions The findings suggest that the 4‐week nutrition education program is an effective tool in increasing participants’ whole fruit consumption and improving overall dietary behavior as well. Implications Further studies are needed to explore the unique barriers faced by food pantry clients in choosing to eat vegetables and ways to overcome them. Also remaining are studies to determine the long‐term effect of nutrition education in similar, larger populations of food pantry clients. Support or Funding Information The Greater Cincinnati Foundation