Abstract P093: A Nutrition Education Program Through the Farmer’s Market: Lessons Learned From Community-based Research in North Dakota

Abstract

Introduction: More than 32% of adults have obesity in North Dakota (ND), cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading causes of death, and at least one in ten adults has diabetes in ND. Healthy eating habit has a protective role against chronic diseases and obesity. A community-based nutrition education program was implemented to identify effective and approachable strategies for developing a long-term intervention that increases fruits and vegetables intake and reduces risk of chronic diseases in ND community. Hypothesis: (1) Nutrition education would increase intake of fruits and vegetables among participants. (2) Participants who received compensation would be more likely to increase their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Method: The pilot program was delivered through the farmer’s market in ND. We delivered six nutrition education sessions focus on the importance of fruits and vegetables on diet, and developing healthy skills related to fruits and vegetables purchasing and cooking. Participants earned a gift certificate at the end of session. Data collected through post-assessment questionnaire. Results: Two hundred and thirty nine participants enrolled and benefited from the program. We found significant increase in fruits and vegetables intake among participants. Results show that increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and providing education about healthy food consumption encouraged market’s visitors to purchase fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: Nutrition education program through farmer’s market has the potential to increase fruits and vegetables intake. The finding suggests that researcher should implement nutrition education intervention as an approach to positively influence eating habits among community.