P61 EFNEP Families Adopting Healthy Choices in Tulare County of California

Abstract

Objective To implement/evaluate a USDA funded Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) among low-income families. Use of Theory or Research Existing research indicates behavioral and economic benefits of nutrition education programs with limited resources population who are likely to have poor eating habits, inactive lifestyle, and higher risk for multiple chronic diseases. Target Audience Primary caregivers of young children across schools/community settings in Tulare County, California. Program Description During FY2017-18, trained bilingual nutrition educator implemented the nine-week EFNEP program using series-based adult curriculum-Eating Smart Being Active. Each class was held once a week for 60-90 minutes in duration. Evaluation Methods Participants completed About Me demographics questionnaire, Food Tracker dietary recall, and a pre-post Food & Physical Activity Questionnaire (FPAQ). Descriptive and Pre-Post analyses were completed using WebNEERS reporting tool. Results Of the total 239 program families reached, 159 participants who attended all the lessons graduated from EFNEP. Majority of the participants were Hispanic. Differences in change from pre-to-post indicated improvements in all the program areas. Of the 159 graduates, 80% of participants showed improvement in one or more food resource management practices, 94% showed improvements in one or more diet quality/ nutrition practices, 85% showed improvements in one or more food safety practices, and 55.06% indicated a positive change in physical activity behaviors. Additionally, results indicated $57.30 in average cost savings. Conclusions EFNEP program reached low-income families in Tulare county of California. Findings advance the field of nutrition education and behavior with implications for programming, policy, and practice. Nutrition education matters and EFNEP is helping save dollars. Continuing to fund EFNEP is a good investment and public policy. Making informed food decisions can help families improve nutrition and food resource management behaviors essential to maximizing use of limited resources, supporting a healthy diet, and improving food security. Funding Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.