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Promoting Nutrition Awareness and Changing the School Food Culture Through a Comprehensive EFNEP Intervention
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Volume 46, Number 4S, 2014 P176 (continued) Outcome, Measures and Analysis: We measured number of healthier foods relative to overall food purchases for the first study, and hunger and cravings (on 9-point likert scales) for the second study. Results: In the lab study, those chewing gum selected 21.25% fewer bags of chips and Doritos and 17.89% more fruits and vegetables compared to those who were not chewing gum. The overall ratio of healthier foods to less healthy foods in their shopping basket increased by 14.69% (p ¼ 0.03). The field study results did not yield significant enhancements in the proportion of healthier purchases, however, possibly due to low average purchase quantities. There was, however, a significant reduction in self-reported hunger for chewers (p ¼ .03), as well as directional reductions in self-reported cravings. Conclusions and Implications: Chewing gum while shopping appears to lead consumers to select healthier food. In a lab study, gum chewers selected more fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods, such as potato chips. There is early self-reported evidence that this may occur due to craving reduction. Funding: Wrigley Science Advisory Council
P177 Promoting Nutrition Awareness and Changing the School Food Culture Through a Comprehensive EFNEP Intervention Denise Benoit-Moctezuma, MPH, [email protected], University of Maryland, 6200 Sheridan Street, Center for Educational Partnership, Riverdale, MD 20737; A. Bhatti, BS; S. Covington, BS; M. Mehta, PhD; E. Han Objective: To engage the entire school in EFNEP's comprehensive nutrition intervention to help kids, families, and the school create a positive, healthy food environment. Target Audience: Middle school youth, parents, and school staff. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: Social Learning Theory. Description: Maryland Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has partnered with Thomas Johnson Middle School (TJMS) to implement a 6-week series of nutrition/cooking classes, which includes a special art project, with middle school students. At the end of several series, EFNEP and TJMS plan to hold a parent showcase to exhibit the students' art projects and showcase what they have learned during the intervention. The ultimate goal is to engage parents in improving their children's behaviors and encourage enrollment into the EFNEP adult program. Evaluation: EFNEP's youth evaluation (pre/post surveys) will be used to collect data about the students' improvements in knowledge and behavior changes. EFNEP's adult evaluation (behavioral checklist and 24-hour food recall) will be used to determine parents' changes in nutrition practices.
Poster Abstracts S177
Conclusions and Implications: Thus far, students have learned about healthy food choices and benefited from experiential learning through their involvement in cooking, art projects, and interacting with school administrators and parents. Some process outcomes from this intervention will include: 1) developing handouts/activities for the parent showcase; 2) posting the students' artwork; 3) enrolling new parents into the EFNEP adult program; and 4) developing a screening tool to assess a school's readiness to implement EFNEP's comprehensive nutrition program. There will be continuous enrollment into EFNEP's adult and youth nutrition workshops to create holistic changes throughout the school environment. Funding: Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
P178 Smarter Lunchrooms Equal Deeper Pockets Andrew S. Hanks, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 112 Warren Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850; K. I. Hoy, MS, RD; B. Wansink, PhD; D. R. Just, PhD Objective: School lunchrooms must balance profits and costs to effectively deliver meals to students. The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement provides low/no-cost environmental interventions that help to increase participation and reduce plate waste, increasing the bottom line for foodservice operations. The objective here is to determine which intervention provides the most profit for the least investment? Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: To address this, production, sales and plate waste data for a middle school in upstate New York were used to perform a cost/benefit analysis of four Smarter Lunchrooms interventions: 1) naming vegetables, 2) moving fruit next to the register, 3) the complete Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover and 4) slicing fruit. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Return on Investment (ROI) calculations were estimated using a six-week intervention period (30 week days). Both direct and indirect costs were estimated using foodservice operation budgets. Benefits were estimated using sales, production and plate waste measures. Results: Naming vegetables resulted in a savings of 6¢ per serving (ROI¼7.35%.) Moving the fruit resulted in a savings of 3¢ per serving (ROI¼4.83%.). The complete Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover resulted in a savings of 2¢ per serving of fruit and vegetables and a savings of 3¢ per entree serving (ROI¼2.09%). Finally, slicing fruit resulted in a savings of 4¢ per serving (ROI¼33%). Conclusions and Implications: This cost/benefit analysis provides direction for foodservice directors and nutrition educators working in school food environments for improving the bottom line of their operations. All Smarter Lunchrooms interventions have positive ROIs reinforcing their profitability and ease of implementation. Funding: USDA
P177 Promoting Nutrition Awareness and Changing the School Food Culture Through a Comprehensive EFNEP Intervention Denise Benoit-Moctezuma, MPH, [email protected], University of Maryland, 6200 Sheridan Street, Center for Educational Partnership, Riverdale, MD 20737; A. Bhatti, BS; S. Covington, BS; M. Mehta, PhD; E. Han Objective: To engage the entire school in EFNEP's comprehensive nutrition intervention to help kids, families, and the school create a positive, healthy food environment. Target Audience: Middle school youth, parents, and school staff. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: Social Learning Theory. Description: Maryland Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has partnered with Thomas Johnson Middle School (TJMS) to implement a 6-week series of nutrition/cooking classes, which includes a special art project, with middle school students. At the end of several series, EFNEP and TJMS plan to hold a parent showcase to exhibit the students' art projects and showcase what they have learned during the intervention. The ultimate goal is to engage parents in improving their children's behaviors and encourage enrollment into the EFNEP adult program. Evaluation: EFNEP's youth evaluation (pre/post surveys) will be used to collect data about the students' improvements in knowledge and behavior changes. EFNEP's adult evaluation (behavioral checklist and 24-hour food recall) will be used to determine parents' changes in nutrition practices.
Poster Abstracts S177
Conclusions and Implications: Thus far, students have learned about healthy food choices and benefited from experiential learning through their involvement in cooking, art projects, and interacting with school administrators and parents. Some process outcomes from this intervention will include: 1) developing handouts/activities for the parent showcase; 2) posting the students' artwork; 3) enrolling new parents into the EFNEP adult program; and 4) developing a screening tool to assess a school's readiness to implement EFNEP's comprehensive nutrition program. There will be continuous enrollment into EFNEP's adult and youth nutrition workshops to create holistic changes throughout the school environment. Funding: Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
P178 Smarter Lunchrooms Equal Deeper Pockets Andrew S. Hanks, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 112 Warren Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850; K. I. Hoy, MS, RD; B. Wansink, PhD; D. R. Just, PhD Objective: School lunchrooms must balance profits and costs to effectively deliver meals to students. The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement provides low/no-cost environmental interventions that help to increase participation and reduce plate waste, increasing the bottom line for foodservice operations. The objective here is to determine which intervention provides the most profit for the least investment? Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: To address this, production, sales and plate waste data for a middle school in upstate New York were used to perform a cost/benefit analysis of four Smarter Lunchrooms interventions: 1) naming vegetables, 2) moving fruit next to the register, 3) the complete Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover and 4) slicing fruit. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Return on Investment (ROI) calculations were estimated using a six-week intervention period (30 week days). Both direct and indirect costs were estimated using foodservice operation budgets. Benefits were estimated using sales, production and plate waste measures. Results: Naming vegetables resulted in a savings of 6¢ per serving (ROI¼7.35%.) Moving the fruit resulted in a savings of 3¢ per serving (ROI¼4.83%.). The complete Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover resulted in a savings of 2¢ per serving of fruit and vegetables and a savings of 3¢ per entree serving (ROI¼2.09%). Finally, slicing fruit resulted in a savings of 4¢ per serving (ROI¼33%). Conclusions and Implications: This cost/benefit analysis provides direction for foodservice directors and nutrition educators working in school food environments for improving the bottom line of their operations. All Smarter Lunchrooms interventions have positive ROIs reinforcing their profitability and ease of implementation. Funding: USDA