Planting Seeds to Grow Healthy Children: Strategic Community Partnerships

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-84
Author(s):  
Jessica Alicea-Planas ◽  
Kelly Sullivan ◽  
Hang Tran ◽  
Anna Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Community Partnerships ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Participant Satisfaction ◽  
Inner Cities ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Main Ideas

More than one third of U.S adults are considered obese, and childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Food security can influence obesity, in particular, within inner cities where access to healthy food is often limited. The use of a mobile food truck program (with refrigeration) was implemented in two large inner cities in Connecticut as part of an initiative aimed at helping low-income families with young children gain access to healthy food and nutrition education. Collaborating with community child care centers was used. The experiences of the families who participated in the program were assessed via focus groups. Main ideas derived from the focus groups were participant satisfaction with money saving suggestions, ideas for how to make healthier choices, and excitement about opportunities to receive foods that they would not normally buy. This innovative mobile food truck program demonstrated the value of strategic community partnerships to influence health.

scholarly journals Get Cookin’

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janelle Morris ◽  
Keiko Goto ◽  
Cindy Wolff ◽  
Stephanie Bianco ◽  
Aurelia Samonte
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Meal Planning ◽  
Eating Practices

Background and Purpose: Healthy eating practices have been associated with prevention of chronic diseases. There is limited information about strategies for healthy eating practices among families. The current study examined the effectiveness of Get Cookin’, a six-week intervention consisting of nutrition education and hands-on cooking and tasting activities among low-income families. Methods: Lowincome adults participated in Get Cookin’, a six-week intervention consisting of nutrition education and hands-on cooking activities. Ninety-six participants completed a retrospective survey which examined their meal planning, budgeting and cooking behaviors, as well as fruit and vegetable consumption. Thirteen graduates of the program participated in focus groups. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to examine pre-to-post changes. Results: Participants showed significant improvements in meal planning and budgeting skills. They started cooking meals at home more frequently and increased consumption and variety of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Focus groups revealed that participants shared cooking and nutrition information and skills learned with their families. Additionally, participants with diverse backgrounds gained a sense of empowerment to overcome personal challenges to make healthy choices. Conclusions: Nutrition education, combined with cooking and tasting activities, appears to have a positive impact on healthy behaviors among low-income families. Further research with a control group would be needed to more definitively understand the effectiveness of the Get Cookin’ intervention.

scholarly journals Mobile Phone Apps for Low-Income Participants in a Public Health Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Review and Analysis of Features (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Summer J Weber ◽  
Daniela Dawson ◽  
Haley Greene ◽  
Pamela C Hull
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
User Reviews ◽  
User Input ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Electronic Benefits Transfer

BACKGROUND Since 1972, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has been proven to improve the health of participating low-income women and children in the United States. Despite positive nutritional outcomes associated with WIC, the program needs updated tools to help future generations. Improving technology in federal nutrition programs is crucial for keeping nutrition resources accessible and easy for low-income families to use. OBJECTIVE This review aimed to analyze the main features of publicly available mobile phone apps for WIC participants. METHODS Keyword searches were performed in the app stores for the 2 most commonly used mobile phone operating systems between December 2017 and June 2018. Apps were included if they were relevant to WIC and excluded if the target users were not WIC participants. App features were reviewed and classified according to type and function. User reviews from the app stores were examined, including ratings and categorization of user review comments. RESULTS A total of 17 apps met selection criteria. Most apps (n=12) contained features that required verified access available only to WIC participants. Apps features were classified into categories: (1) shopping management (eg, finding and redeeming food benefits), (2) clinic appointment management (eg, appointment reminders and scheduling), (3) informational resources (eg, recipes, general food list, tips about how to use WIC, links to other resources), (4) WIC-required nutrition education modules, and (5) other user input. Positive user reviews indicated that apps with shopping management features were very useful. CONCLUSIONS WIC apps are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in states that have implemented electronic benefits transfer for WIC. This review offers new contributions to the literature and practice, as practitioners, software developers, and health researchers seek to improve and expand technology in the program.

scholarly journals Innovative Partnerships to Address Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Brighter Bites Produce Voucher Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9175
Author(s):  
Amier Haidar ◽  
Christine Markham ◽  
Allison Marshall ◽  
Ru-Jye Chuang ◽  
Meredith Spence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Participant Satisfaction ◽  
Voucher Program ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Program Participant ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The One ◽  
The U.S

The purpose of this communication is to describe the Brighter Bites produce voucher program, and its implementation and utilization across Brighter Bites families in four cities in the U.S., during the COVID-19 pandemic. The voucher program was implemented over nine weeks starting April 2020, with up to four USD 25 store-specific produce coupons sent bi-weekly to the homes of each participating Brighter Bites family (USD 100 total/family). Measures included type of produce purchased, amount of voucher that was used, number of vouchers distributed and redeemed by families, and a post-program participant satisfaction survey. Descriptive statistics, including count, frequency, and percent, were computed, both overall and stratified by city. During this time, Brighter Bites distributed a total of over 43,982 vouchers to 12,482 low-income families, with a redemption rate of 60% (at least one voucher redeemed) across all cities. During times of crisis, non-profit–for-profit partnerships, such as the one between Brighter Bites and the grocery retail industry, are feasible, and successful in providing produce to families in need.

scholarly journals Assessing Challenges in Low-Income Families to Inform a Life Skills–Based Obesity Intervention

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 915-924
Author(s):  
Nivedita Bhushan ◽  
Maihan Vu ◽  
Randall Teal ◽  
Jessica Carda-Auten ◽  
Dianne Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Behavior Management ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Low Income Families

Background. This article describes the formative research undertaken to explore challenges of low-income parents of 3-to 5-year-olds to inform a parent-focused life skills–based intervention to prevent obesity in preschool-aged children. Method. A total of 40 parents completed surveys, 30 parents participated in focus groups, and 5 community stakeholders participated in individual interviews. In each data mode, participants were asked to prioritize a list of challenges centered on parenting, family care, and self-care. Survey data were analyzed descriptively using SAS, while focus groups and interviews were analyzed for emerging themes using ATLAS.ti. Results. Parents reported needing strategies for managing children’s behavior around picky eating, limits/boundaries, tantrums, and routines. Challenges with child behavior management were compounded by parents’ inability to find affordable fun family activities outside the home and difficulties in communicating childrearing expectations to coparents/relatives who assisted with child care. Added to these were other competing priorities (e.g., financial) that led to the neglect of self, including the inability to find “me” time, build relationships, and care for one’s health. Conclusions. Interventions that address parenting, family care and self-care challenges of low-income parents may enhance resilience and support positive changes that can promote healthy development in children, including obesity prevention.

Food Skills Education and Low-Income Adults’ Healthy Food Choices

2021 ◽  
pp. 0272684X2110049
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Pooler ◽  
Mithuna Srinivasan ◽  
Karen Wong ◽  
Jonathan L. Blitstein
Keyword(s):  
Diet Quality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Skills Education ◽  
Item Scale

Background The Cooking Matters food skills education program equips low-income families with the skills and knowledge to shop for and cook healthy meals within budget and time constraints. Aims To explore whether participation in Cooking Matters is associated with healthier food choices using a 6-item scale, comprised of a variety of food categories. Methods Cooking Matters participants (n = 332) and a comparison group (n = 336) completed surveys at baseline, 3-, and 6-month follow-up. Results Cooking Matters participants experienced greater improvements in healthy choices overall (p < 0.0001) and for each of the six underlying items at 3 month follow-up. Improvements were sustained at 6-month follow-up overall and for all categories, except low-fat milk (p = 0.1168). Discussion Participation in Cooking Matters was associated with improvements in overall healthy food choices across a variety of food groups and maintained at 6-month follow-up. Enabling healthy food choices is an important step toward improved diet quality.

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