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Tools to Assess Nutrition Education with Low-Income Families
I N T RO D U C T I O N ...............................................................................................
Tools to Assess Nutrition Education with Low-Income Families J O N W E I M E R , 1 P AT R I C I A M C K I N N E Y , 2 A N D L I N DA K. B E N N I N G 3 1
Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20036; 2Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Alexandria,VA 22302; 3National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, Washington, DC 20036
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has long been committed to improving the nutritional health of Americans through a program of research and education to maintain a food supply of high nutritional quality and encourage consumption of a healthful diet. The food assistance programs administered by USDA are a cornerstone of this country’s effort to ensure adequate nutrition for the disadvantaged. In recognition of this responsibility, USDA has worked to make quality nutrition education available to the largest possible number of participants in food assistance programs. Most recently, USDA has encouraged states to use an optional nutrition education provision contained in the Food Stamp Program regulations in an effort to increase access to nutrition education for participants in this program. Nutrition education in the Food Stamp Program has grown to nearly $200 million in funding shared between the states and the federal government in 49 states and one territory. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which oversees the operation of the Department’s nutrition assistance programs, including the Food Stamp Program, seeks to encourage evaluation efforts to address issues regarding the accountability and the continuous improvement of these nutrition education programs. Consequently, under the auspices of the Department’s Economic Research Service, a cooperative agreement was awarded for the development of methodology and validation of instruments to support evaluation of nutrition education in the Food Stamp Program. The following articles were written to help states evaluate their of nutrition education efforts in the Food Stamp Program. These articles may be a resource for evaluation of a broad range of nutrition education programs. In addition to comprehensively reviewing relevant research, these articles provide recommendations and guidance to assess nutrition education and social marketing efforts with diverse, lowincome populations. They identify the tools to help address issues of program accountability and continuous improvement. Although nutrition educators understand the importance of measuring program impact, they may not be aware of the instruments available to do so and, as such, are continually “reinventing the wheel.” Hopefully, these articles will
4.
...................................................
1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Nutrition education plan guidance: fiscal year 2001. Alexandria,VA: USDA, Food Stamp Program, 2000.
assist in reducing the amount of effort directed toward creating a new instrument for every new program. Also, even if educators are aware of some of the instruments that are available, they may not know the limitations of these instruments. These articles should assist practitioners in both of these scenarios and perhaps help to create more widespread adoption of outstanding instruments, thereby improving the overall quality of evaluation and increasing the number of programs reporting on the same indicators. They focus on five topic areas that an FNS expert panel identified as those that reflect the primary emphasis of nutrition education in the Food Stamp Program.These topic areas include 1.
2. 3.
5.
System, environmental, and policy changes—“to bring change to the system or environment that makes nutritious diets more available to food stamp households.” Food resource management—“to enhance practices related to thrifty shopping for preparation of nutritious foods.” Food safety—“to improve households’ safe handling, preparation and storage of food.” Dietary quality—“to motivate consumers to adopt eating and lifestyle behaviors that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid.” Food security—“to ensure that individuals and families have enough to eat without resorting to emergency food assistance.”1
These topic areas are interrelated; cooperation and collaboration among partners result in increased coordination, changes in policy, and increased resources for nutrition education.These actions are expected to increase access to nutrition education and nutritious foods. Nutrition education can help to positively affect food resource management and increase food safety, which, in turn, can improve dietary quality and food access. Dietary quality and food security (which includes food access) are anticipated to promote health and financial independence.
REFERENCE
©2001 SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION
S1
Tools to Assess Nutrition Education with Low-Income Families J O N W E I M E R , 1 P AT R I C I A M C K I N N E Y , 2 A N D L I N DA K. B E N N I N G 3 1
Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20036; 2Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Alexandria,VA 22302; 3National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, Washington, DC 20036
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has long been committed to improving the nutritional health of Americans through a program of research and education to maintain a food supply of high nutritional quality and encourage consumption of a healthful diet. The food assistance programs administered by USDA are a cornerstone of this country’s effort to ensure adequate nutrition for the disadvantaged. In recognition of this responsibility, USDA has worked to make quality nutrition education available to the largest possible number of participants in food assistance programs. Most recently, USDA has encouraged states to use an optional nutrition education provision contained in the Food Stamp Program regulations in an effort to increase access to nutrition education for participants in this program. Nutrition education in the Food Stamp Program has grown to nearly $200 million in funding shared between the states and the federal government in 49 states and one territory. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which oversees the operation of the Department’s nutrition assistance programs, including the Food Stamp Program, seeks to encourage evaluation efforts to address issues regarding the accountability and the continuous improvement of these nutrition education programs. Consequently, under the auspices of the Department’s Economic Research Service, a cooperative agreement was awarded for the development of methodology and validation of instruments to support evaluation of nutrition education in the Food Stamp Program. The following articles were written to help states evaluate their of nutrition education efforts in the Food Stamp Program. These articles may be a resource for evaluation of a broad range of nutrition education programs. In addition to comprehensively reviewing relevant research, these articles provide recommendations and guidance to assess nutrition education and social marketing efforts with diverse, lowincome populations. They identify the tools to help address issues of program accountability and continuous improvement. Although nutrition educators understand the importance of measuring program impact, they may not be aware of the instruments available to do so and, as such, are continually “reinventing the wheel.” Hopefully, these articles will
4.
...................................................
1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Nutrition education plan guidance: fiscal year 2001. Alexandria,VA: USDA, Food Stamp Program, 2000.
assist in reducing the amount of effort directed toward creating a new instrument for every new program. Also, even if educators are aware of some of the instruments that are available, they may not know the limitations of these instruments. These articles should assist practitioners in both of these scenarios and perhaps help to create more widespread adoption of outstanding instruments, thereby improving the overall quality of evaluation and increasing the number of programs reporting on the same indicators. They focus on five topic areas that an FNS expert panel identified as those that reflect the primary emphasis of nutrition education in the Food Stamp Program.These topic areas include 1.
2. 3.
5.
System, environmental, and policy changes—“to bring change to the system or environment that makes nutritious diets more available to food stamp households.” Food resource management—“to enhance practices related to thrifty shopping for preparation of nutritious foods.” Food safety—“to improve households’ safe handling, preparation and storage of food.” Dietary quality—“to motivate consumers to adopt eating and lifestyle behaviors that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid.” Food security—“to ensure that individuals and families have enough to eat without resorting to emergency food assistance.”1
These topic areas are interrelated; cooperation and collaboration among partners result in increased coordination, changes in policy, and increased resources for nutrition education.These actions are expected to increase access to nutrition education and nutritious foods. Nutrition education can help to positively affect food resource management and increase food safety, which, in turn, can improve dietary quality and food access. Dietary quality and food security (which includes food access) are anticipated to promote health and financial independence.
REFERENCE
©2001 SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION
S1