Nutrition education with minority caregivers in an urban population: Identifying the barriers to attendance and strategies for improvement

Abstract

Nutrition education in caregivers (CG) is fundamental to fostering child health; however minority groups historically have lower engagement. The following study examined possible barriers to attendance of nutrition classes by CG in an urban setting. A convenience sample included 47 CG of minority preschoolers enrolled in Head Start schools in Detroit, MI. The study offered 6 nutrition classes at the preschoolers’ school; 76.6% attended half or less than half of the classes. During follow‐up, participants indicated what prevented them from attending; top reasons included work (62.2%) and lack of childcare (17.8%). CG suggested providing a program for both the child and CG together (42.6%) and providing transportation to the schools (34.0%) as ways to increase participation. When asked about motivations for attending future classes, the most frequently reported motives included “wanting to become healthier” (78.7%), followed by “setting an example for my child” (46.8%). Regardless of low attendance, 91.5% of the CG stated that they would attend another series of nutrition classes if given the opportunity. Overall, these results suggest that despite an interest in receiving nutrition education, these barriers prevented CG from participating. Future research should consider this when evaluating the accessibility and participation of nutrition education programs for minority CG.