The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program’s Impact on Graduates’ Quality of Life

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine how the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) affects the quality of life (QoL) of its low-income adult participants. MethodsA cross-sectional exploratory study using focus groups (n = 15) in 8 states with EFNEP participants (n = 111) 2–4 months after graduation. Focus groups were conducted with non-Hispanic white (4 groups), black (4), English-speaking Hispanic (4), and Spanish-speaking Hispanic (3) respondents. A priori template analysis based on constructs from the University of Toronto's Quality of Life Profile for Adults and constant comparative procedures were used to generate results. ResultsParticipants reported following healthier dietary and physical activity behaviors and having increased motivation to improve themselves and greater satisfaction with life. All groups noted being a more positive influence on their families and a having willingness to learn and try new things. Conclusions and ImplicationsThe EFNEP enhances the QoL of its participants, which suggests that the program's benefits go beyond participants’ documented nutrition and health-related behavior changes. In the future, EFNEP might examine whether improved QoL is also a predictor of sustained behavior change and a means for differentiating program impacts owing to variations in dose (number of contacts) or delivery methods (face-to-face vs online).