Community-based Nutrition Education Research Articles

Impact of Nutrition Interventions on Vitamin and Mineral Intake among Native American Children and Parents: Insights from Food Resource Equity for Sustainable Health (FRESH) Study.

The Food Resource Equity for Sustainable Health (FRESH) study started as a tribe community-based nutrition education program in 2018, implemented with children and parents in Osage Nation. The purpose of the FRESH study is to examine the effects of a farm-to-school family intervention on diet. The FRESH study did not directly intervene on adult caregiver participants' diet, and, as far as we know, it is the first of its kind to implement a farm-to-school intervention in rural/tribally owned Early Childhood Education. Two communities received intervention and two served as wait-list controls. Outcomes included diet and other secondary health outcomes including vitamin and mineral intake. There were 193 children (n = 106 intervention; n = 87 control) and 170 adults (n = 93 intervention; n = 77 control) enrolled. Among adult caregiver participants, carbohydrate, cholesterol, and caffeine intake significantly decreased after the intervention (p < 0.05). There is a hidden hunger issue among caregivers in Native American populations. The family-based nutritional intervention, which includes educational components for caregivers, might have some effect on improving micronutrient status. Future studies focusing on key micronutrients through efficient methods are warranted.

Assessment of Nutritional Status among the School-going Adolescents in a Rural Community of Bankura District, West Bengal: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background: Adolescent is a very crucial period of life for the growth and development of the body and mind. Nutrition influences growth and development throughout infancy, childhood and adolescents. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the sudy was to assess the nutritional status in terms of thinness, overweight and obesity and stunting amongst the school-going adolescents and to find out the factors related to nutritional status amongst the study subjects. Methodology: Community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted amongst six rural schools of Bankura-I community development block in Bankura district from July to September 2017. With the help of a pre-designed, pre-tested, semi-structured schedule, a total of 600 adolescent students were interviewed, and clinical examinations were done. The collected information was entered into Microsoft Excel sheet and analysed using SPSS-20. Results: The mean age of the study population was 13.2 ± 2.19 years. About one-third (32.8%) of adolescent students were thin, as per body mass index for age Z-score category. Normal nutritional status was found in the majority of students (63.8%), but overweight and obesity were only 3.4% amongst the adolescent students. Stunting (31.0%) was higher amongst the late adolescents, and also that the percentage of stunting was higher in adolescent girls (35.8%) than boys (15.0%). Stunting was also significantly related with caste, SE class, family type according to number of family members and birth order of study subjects. Conclusions: School-based as well as community-based adolescent-friendly health and nutrition education and services and economic development may improve the overall health and nutritional knowledge and status of adolescents.

Break-Up With Salt (BUWS), Community-Based Nutrition Education Supporting Hypertension Prevention and Management

Break-Up With Salt (BUWS), Community-Based Nutrition Education Supporting Hypertension Prevention and Management

A Public Sector Innovation in Strengthening Local Community Food Security in the Selected Municipalities of Lanao del Sur

This study presents an in-depth analysis of food security challenges in selected municipalities of Lanao del Sur, focusing on household food insecurity prevalence and proposing public sector innovations to address these issues. Conducted through a data survey spanning Lumbatan, Lumbanayague, and Sultan Dumalondong over two months, the research collected 268 responses. Findings reveal nuances in food availability and preferences, highlighting gaps in food variety and accessibility despite overall sufficiency. Contributing factors include low income, poverty, limited nutritious food, high commodity prices, and insufficient agency support, leading to perceptions of inadequate food access, availability, and affordability. Proposed interventions encompass community-based food production, price stabilization, targeted subsidies, and nutrition education campaigns, emphasizing collaborative stakeholder efforts for sustainable improvements in Lanao del Sur's food security and dietary diversity.

Transformative Insights: Break Up with Salt (BUWS) Program's Short-Term Influence on Hypertension Risk Factors.

Break Up with Salt (BUWS) is a four-session community-based nutrition education program aimed at reducing key controllable hypertension risk factors. This pilot study utilized a pre-post survey design to assess short-term outcomes on food behaviors (including DASH diet eating patterns), physical activity, and overall well-being, in two groups of participants. The first "pilot" group (n = 25) completed a comprehensive, 16-item survey; the second "abbreviated" group (n = 27) completed a 5-item survey. The pilot group experienced improvements in whole grain (p = 0.04), sweetened beverage consumption, watching/reducing sodium (p = 0.04) and fat (p = 0.05) consumption, and time spent sitting (p = 0.04). The abbreviated group improved confidence in using food labels (p = 0.02), following the DASH diet (p < 0.01), preparing food without salt (p = 0.03), selecting lower sodium items when eating out (p = 0.04), and making a positive lifestyle change (p = 0.01). The BUWS program provides information and teaches strategies to manage or prevent hypertension. By effectively improving diet and food behaviors, BUWS has the potential to reduce hypertension risk factors and improve the general health of participants.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Bilingual Nutrition Education Program in Partnership with a Mobile Health Unit.

There are limited reports of community-based nutrition education with culinary instruction that measure biomarkers, particularly in low-income and underrepresented minority populations. Teaching kitchens have been proposed as a strategy to address social determinants of health, combining nutrition education, culinary demonstration, and skill building. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development, implementation, and evaluation of Journey to Health, a program designed for community implementation using the RE-AIM planning and evaluation framework. Reach and effectiveness were the primary outcomes. Regarding reach, 507 individuals registered for the program, 310 participants attended at least one nutrition class, 110 participants completed at least two biometric screens, and 96 participants attended at least two health coaching appointments. Participants who engaged in Journey to Health realized significant improvements in body mass index, blood pressure, and triglycerides. For higher risk participants, we additionally saw significant improvements in total and LDL cholesterol. Regarding dietary intake, we observed a significant increase in cups of fruit and a decrease in sugar sweetened beverages consumed per day. Our findings suggest that Journey to Health may improve selected biometrics and health behaviors in low-income and underrepresented minority participants.

Community-based nutrition education and counselling provided during pregnancy: effects on knowledge and attitude towards iron-folic acid supplementation

Abstract Maternal malnutrition is pervasive throughout the world, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. This study examined the effect of community-based iron-folic acid supplementation (IFAS) nutrition education on IFAS knowledge and attitude among pregnant women in urban settings in South Ethiopia. A community-based quasi-experimental study was conducted among 198 randomly selected pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) (99 intervention and 99 control). We used a multistage sampling technique followed by systematic sampling to select the pregnant women. Pregnant women who participated in the intervention arm received six nutrition education sessions and counselling using a health belief model (HBM), while the control group received only routine ANC services. Baseline and endline data were collected during the ANC and compared. The data was analysed using statistical package for social sciences. Analyses of the effect of the intervention were done using difference-in-difference and generalised estimation equation to allow correlation of repeated observations over time. The results indicated a significant effect of intervention on maternal knowledge towards IFAS; with intervention, group levels increased by 35 percentage points (P &lt; 0.001). The odds of being knowledgeable at the endpoint in the intervention group were 2.6 times higher than baseline (OR = 2.67, 95% CI 1.88–3.80). There was a significant (P = 0.001) change in proportion with a favourable attitude towards IFAS between the two time points. The community-based nutrition education intervention approach has significantly improved maternal knowledge and a favourable attitude towards IFAS among pregnant women. The HBM is effective in improving knowledge and attitude among pregnant women.

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices and deworming improve nutritional status and anemia of unmarried adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh

BackgroundIn Bangladesh, undernutrition and anemia are more occurrent among adolescent girls. BRAC, the largest non-governmental organization (NGO), has been implementing a community-based nutrition education service package targeting adolescent girls for reducing their undernutrition and anemia.ObjectiveWe aimed to explore the underlying factors associated with nutritional status and anemia among adolescent girls under the BRAC nutrition program areas to improve their existing intervention package.MethodologyWe conducted a cross-sectional and comparative study in 2016, in 24 upazilas of Bogra, Barguna, Comilla, Dinajpur, Feni, Jessore, and Meherpur districts where the BRAC nutrition program was implemented while the remaining 27 upazilas of those districts were selected as comparison area. We followed a multistage cluster random sampling for selecting 1620 unmarried adolescent girls aged 10–19 years for interviewing in the intervention and comparison areas. Data were collected on socio-demographic information, dietary intake, morbidity, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practice, anthropometry, and serum hemoglobin (Hb) level by using a pre-structured questionnaire. The nutritional status of the adolescent girls was expressed as height-for-age Z (HAZ) and body mass index-for-age Z (BMIZ) score, while anemia referred to the serum Hb at the level of below 12 g/dl for adolescent girls. All statistical analyses were done in STATA version 17 (Chicago Inc.).FindingsThe prevalence of stunting (22.9% vs. 22.5%), thinness (12% vs. 14%), and anemia (34.5% vs. 37.3%) exhibited similarities between the intervention and comparison regions. Stunting and thinness were predictors for each other for this population group. Our findings indicated that adolescent girls who were not washing hands with soap after defecation were likely to be stunted [AOR 1.51 (95% CI 1.12–2.04)], and who did not utilize sanitary latrines had an increased likelihood of being thin [AOR 2.38 (95% CI 1.11–5.08)]. Conversely, those who did not watch television [AOR 1.69 (95% CI 1.12–2.56)] and did not have deworming tablets [AOR 1.33 (95% CI 1.07–1.64)] in the 6 months leading up to the interview had a 69% and 33% higher probability of being anemic, respectively.ConclusionFor sustainable improvement in the undernutrition and anemia of adolescent girls, integration of WASH, consistent administration of deworming tablets and broadcasting awareness programs through television are urgent to scale up the nutrition intervention programs in similar settings like Bangladesh.

Effectiveness of Qualitative and Quantitative Instruments in Assessment and Evaluation of Community Based Nutrition Education Programs

Effectiveness of Qualitative and Quantitative Instruments in Assessment and Evaluation of Community Based Nutrition Education Programs

Education Intervention Has the Potential to Improve Short-Term Dietary Pattern among Older Adults with Undernutrition.

Low-cost educational interventions to improve dietary pattern is a pragmatic solution to prevent undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries. A prospective nutritional education intervention was conducted among older adults aged 60 years or above with undernutrition with 60 people in each intervention and control group. The objective was to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a community-based nutrition education intervention to improve the dietary pattern of older adults with undernutrition in Sri Lanka. The intervention consisted of two modules to improve the diversity, the variety of diet, and the serving sizes of food consumed. The primary outcome was the improvement of the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) and the secondary outcomes were the Food Variety Score and Dietary Serving Score, which was assessed using the 24 h dietary recall. The mean difference in scores between the two groups was compared using the independent sample t-test at baseline, two weeks and three months post-intervention. Baseline characteristics were comparable. After two weeks, only the difference in DDS between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.002). However, this was not sustained at three months (p = 0.08). This study concludes that nutrition education interventions have the potential for short-term improvement in dietary patterns in older adults in a Sri Lanka setting.

Achieving a healthy home food environment: perspectives on parents' nutrition education needs when living with food insecurity.

The familial food environment is influenced by many factors, including food insecurity, food accessibility, and foods accepted by the family. These factors can facilitate or hinder caregivers' ability to support a healthy home food environment. The aim of this research was to explore the barriers to, perspectives on, and nutrition education needs identified by food-insecure parents which would then inform a community-based nutrition education program. A qualitative study used focus group data that were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a constant comparison approach to categorize the emerging themes. Emergent themes: (1) Cooking confidence deficit; (2) Healthy meal preparation barriers; (3) Healthy meal acceptance barriers; (4) Meal planning, management, and adaptability. These themes suggest that supporting a healthy home food environment is connected to both food knowledge and competencies, known as food literacy. Food literacy competency should be assessed before nutrition education program implementation within community settings.

Nutritional practices of the preschool-aged children and associated factors: A cross-sectional study in Rupandehi district of Nepal

Undernutrition is a common problem among Nepali preschool-aged children. Every parent’s feeding practice should be focused on preventing unhealthy eating behaviors of preschool-aged children as it is very difficult to change it in their later life. This study was carried out to assess the key nutritional practices and associated factors among the 3-5-year-old preschool-aged children from their primary caregivers/mothers by employing a quantitative research method. Data were collected through scheduled interviews and observations from mothers/primary caregivers of 394 preschool-aged children who were selected through a multi-stage random sampling procedure in Rupandehi District of Nepal. Binary logistic regression was done to determine the predictors of nutritional practices of preschool-aged children. A p-value less than 0.05 is considered statistical significance. Economic statuses including caste/ethnicity were the main socio-economic and demographic variables to determine the nutritional practices of the preschool-aged children. Findings of the study indicated that majority of preschool-aged children were found in low-level nutritional practices. The preschoolaged children from marginal economic status, including disadvantage-cohorts of the Terai and Dalit, were the victims of the poor nutritional practices. Hence, community-based nutrition education intervention and mothers/caregivers’ awareness programs on feeding practices may be an incredible effort to improve the nutritional status of preschool-aged children if the program is intervened by targeting the background characteristics of the community group.

Food taboos and associated factors among agro-pastoralist pregnant women: A community-based cross-sectional study in Eastern Ethiopia

In underdeveloped nations, cultural norms that are harmful to women's health, such as food taboos, are responsible for five to fifteen percent of pregnancy-related deaths. Food Taboo traditions prevent women from consuming particular foods, which reduces dietary diversity and food quality and may have detrimental nutritional effects. However, little is known about Ethiopia’s dietary taboos and related issues. So, the purpose of this study was to find out how common food taboos are among pregnant women in agro pastoralist settings, as well as the accompanying factors. 636 pregnant women were enrolled in a community-based cross-sectional study using a two-stage cluster sampling strategy, distributed over seven clusters. Data were exported from Epi Data version 3.01 to Statistical Package for Social Science version 20 after being entered. The prevalence of dietary taboos in this study was 67.4% (95% CI: 63.7%, 71.1%). Food taboos were independently and significantly predicted by lack of formal education [AOR = 1.97 (95% CI: 1.583, 4.496), low wealth index [AOR = 2.26 (95% CI: 1.173, 4.353)], absence of antenatal care visits [AOR = 6.16 (95% CI: 4.996, 10.128), lack of knowledge of maternal nutrition [AOR = 4.94 (95% CI: 3.799, 8.748)], and negative attitude toward maternal nutrition [ In the research area, dietary taboos were very common. Food taboos were independently predicted by low wealth index, lack of maternity care visits, lack of formal education, ignorance of maternal nutrition, and unfavorable attitudes. Therefore, it is highly advised that strong community-based maternal nutrition education and counseling, raising women's income, and preparing young women for study in order to improve their educational standing be implemented.

Does Crop Diversity Influence Household Food Security and Women's Individual Dietary Diversity? A Cross-Sectional Study of Malawian Farmers in a Participatory Agroecology and Nutrition Project.

Agroecological methods have the potential to impact nutrition and food security, however, to date there is limited research evaluating this approach. A 5-year participatory research project with farming households in north and central Malawi was designed to train farmers on agroecological practices, alongside raising awareness on nutrition and gender equity. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationships between crop diversity, food security at the household level, and individual diversity for women, within the context of an agroecology, nutrition education, and farmer mentoring program. Participating farmers were trained in and experimented with different farming methods. These farmers subsequently trained other farmers on these short-term agroecological practices and provided mentorship using community-based educational methods designed to address both household food security and nutrition. In year 4 of the intervention, a cross-sectional survey assessed farm practices, food security, and individual dietary diversity of 851 participating households. Households with lower crop diversity were significantly less likely to be food secure (odds ratios [OR] = 0.829, P < .001). Women in households with higher crop diversity were more likely to have higher individual dietary diversity (OR = 1.120, P < .01), eat vitamin A rich foods (OR = 1.176, P < .01), and legumes, nuts, and seeds (OR = 1.141, P < .01). These findings suggest that within a participatory agroecological training combined with community-based nutrition education with a focus on social equity, crop diversity is associated with less household food insecurity and poorer diet quality for rural farming households. Crop diversity may improve dietary diversity by making nutritious foods more available.

Egg consumption of children under two years of age through a child-owned poultry and nutrition intervention in rural Ethiopia: A community-based randomized controlled trial

Egg consumption is associated with better child health and nutrition. Though a relatively cheap animal source food, under-two years aged Ethiopian children rarely eat egg. This study tested effects of a child-owned poultry intervention integrated with nutrition education on egg intake. Targeting 6–18 months children, the trial was conducted in Southern Ethiopia from May to November 2018. Clusters were randomly selected and allocated to intervention and control arms. Children in the intervention group (N = 127) received two egg-laying local hens and caging materials in a cultural and religious gifting ceremony. Parents promised to not sell nor share the chickens and eggs, present two more hens, replace those that died, and feed all eggs produced to the chicken-owner child on the basis of one-egg-a-day. Cage utilization, proper poultry husbandry and environmental sanitation, as well as egg feeding, were promoted. Controls (N = 126) received the regular community-based nutrition and agriculture education. Child-owned poultry increased significantly in intervention ( p < 0.001 ) (β = 3.856; 95% CI of 3.553–4.159). Egg intake was 72% vs 20.7% among intervention and control children, respectively, at end line ( p < 0.001 ; Odds ratio = 3.841; 95% CI = 2.640–5.589). Mean eggs [SD] consumed by the week before end line significantly increased in intervention (4.85 [2.41]) compared to control (0.4 [0.61]) (p < 0.001; β = 2.202; 95% CI = 1.971–2.433) children. Child-owned hen flock size was strongly associated with egg intake (r = 0.975; p < 0.001 ). Nearly one-third of children in intervention met the minimum dietary diversity ( p = 0.016 ; Odds ratio = 1.857; 95% CI = 1.120–3.078). Vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables consumption (p = 0.027) increased in intervention, as a result of sales of excess eggs. Enabling children to be owners of chickens together with nutrition education significantly increased chicken production and egg consumption. We recommend integration of child-owned poultry into ongoing malnutrition prevention activities particularly in resource-poor settings where undernutrition is high and animal source food intake is low. (Trial registration = NCT03355222). • Egg intake is very low among under two years age children of Halaba, South Ethiopia. • Enabling children to be owners of chickens coupled with nutrition promotion significantly increased chicken production and egg consumption sustainably. An added advantage of increased intake of Vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables was observed from the sale of excess eggs. The intervention resulted in higher dietary diversity increasing the proportion of children who met the minimum dietary diversity cut off. • Nutrition-sensitive poultry intervention stressing child ownership is recommended to be integrated into ongoing malnutrition prevention programs particularly in countries like Ethiopia where the burden of undernutrition is high and intake of animal source foods is low.

Prevalence of malnutrition among under-five children residing in Kamal Gaupalika, Jhapa

Malnutrition among under-five is a major global health problem in developing countries like Nepal. It directly or indirectly affects many aspects of the child’s health, adversely affecting growth and development. Also, malnutrition affects the child’s ability to learn and process information and growth. This study assesses the prevalence of malnutrition among under-five children in Kamal Gaupalika, Jhapa, Nepal. First, a descriptive cross-sectional method was conducted among 60 under-five children and their mothers. The interview included semi-structured and structured questionnaires regarding socio-demographic and contributing factors of malnutrition and anthropometric measurement (analog weighing machine, measuring tape, mid-upper arm circumference) used for data collection. Then, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS-16, employing descriptive statistics (i.e. percentage, frequency, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (i.e. chi-square). This study shows that 41.67% were malnourished. Among them, stunting was 20.0%, wasting was 25.0%, and underweight was 31.7%. Anthropometric measurement showed 83.3% were well-nourished, 11.7% were at risk for acute malnutrition, and 5% were moderate acute malnutrition. Family income was found to be significantly associated with malnutrition (stunting p = 0.001, wasting p = 0.007 and underweight p = 0.000). In contrast, there was no association in age, gender, ethnicity, mother’s education, father’s education, and mother’s age at childbirth. Our results showed that malnutrition is prevalent in the selected study area. Therefore, community-based nutrition awareness and education programs are necessary to improve the nutritional status of children.

Culturally Tailored Nutrition Education for Promoting Healthy Dietary Behavior and Reducing Body Weight and Waist Circumference Among Bhutanese Adults in Massachusetts

ObjectivesRefugees bear a high burden of diet-related chronic diseases due to unhealthy eating habits. Culture strongly influences their dietary behavior; however, culturally tailored nutrition education intervention targeted at refugees is limited. We assessed the effect of culturally-tailored nutrition intervention to promote healthy dietary behavior and reduce body weight and waist circumference among Bhutanese adults in Massachusetts. MethodsA community-based nutrition education intervention (once a week of 60 mins for 3-week) was implemented among 44 Bhutanese adults resettled in Massachusetts with a pre-post test evaluation. The intervention focused on the health benefits of nutrients, healthier food choices, healthy cooking techniques, healthy eating plate, and hands-on activities to make a weekly diet plan. We measured body weight and waist circumference, and dietary behavior (green leafy vegetables, colored vegetables, fruits, salad, meat, egg, rice, curry, milk, and sugary drinks, etc.) using a food frequency questionnaire before and after the intervention. We used paired t-tests for continuous and McNemar tests for categorical variables to analyze the pre-and post-test differences. ResultsAll participants completed intervention sessions, along with pre-and post-intervention assessments. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 30.6 (11.5) years, and duration in the US was 5.6 (2.9) years. The proportion of participants eating a healthy food at least one time per day increased significantly from pre- to post-intervention: fruits (29.5% vs. 72.7%), green leafy vegetables (29.5% vs. 75%), colored vegetables (25% vs. 61.4%), salad (18.1% vs. 52.3%), milk (27.2% vs. 47.7%), and egg (18.2% vs. 40.9%) (p < 0.001). Intake decreased significantly for rice (72.7% vs. 20.4%), meat (25% vs. 2.3%) and sugary drinks (27.3% vs. 4.5%) (p < 0.01). The mean body weight decreased significantly by 1.4 kg (67.0 kg vs. 65.6 kg) and waist circumference by 3.3 cms (90.2 cms vs. 86.9 cms) (p < 0.01). ConclusionsCulturally tailored nutrition education intervention improved healthy food consumption and reduced body weight and waist circumference among Bhutanese adults. This program should be evaluated with larger populations at community levels. Funding SourcesUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst.

Community-based nutrition education and hands-on cooking intervention increases farmers' market use and vegetable servings.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of the Market to MyPlate (M2MP) program on participants' reported farmers' market (FM) attitudes and shopping behaviours, frequency of serving vegetables to their families, food resource management behaviours and food security. A secondary objective was to identify facilitators and barriers to shopping at FM and food waste reduction techniques used by low-income families. The current study used a mixed methods evaluation embedded within a cluster randomised trial of the M2MP intervention. The 7-week M2MP program was delivered at Extension offices and community centres in central Illinois. Participants included 120 adults and their families. Class cohorts were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: (1) nutrition education and cooking classes with produce allocations (PAE, n 39); (2) nutrition education and cooking classes only (EO, n 36) or (3) control group (n 45). Compared with control participants, PAE participants were significantly more likely to report shopping at FM (P = 0·029) and reported serving more vegetables to their families (P = 0·010) (EO participants did not differ from the control group on any outcomes). There were no differences between conditions in survey-based measures of food security or food resource management behaviours. Interview results describe facilitators and barriers to shopping at FM and a variety of food waste reduction techniques (including food placement and food resource management). These findings suggest that fresh produce provision coupled with nutrition and culinary education can positively impact shopping and dietary behaviours.

Associations among Eating Habits, Health Conditions, and Education Level in North Dakota Adults

Objective: Many socioeconomic factors can influence the consumption of a nutritious diet. To uncover factors influencing nutrition habits in North Dakota, we implemented a communitybased nutrition education program. Methods: The program consisted of 6 educational sessions at a farmer’s market in North Dakota. We collected data through a questionnaire to assess individuals’ demographic information, health conditions, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutrition knowledge (N = 290). We analyzed the data using descriptive, chi-square, and one-way ANOVA analysis. Results: Overall, 37% of participants had a 4-year college degree, 20% had a master’s degree, 18% had a high school degree, and 17% had a 2-year or vocational degree. The chi-square analysis indicated a statistically significant correlation between education level and health condition (p = .010) and average total fruit and vegetable intake (p = .020). Participants with a higher level of education had fewer chronic disease diagnoses and ate more fruits and vegetables. The one-way ANOVA indicated a statistically significant relationship between education and nutrition knowledge (p &lt; .001). Conclusions: Individuals with higher nutrition knowledge may have healthier eating habits and better health outcomes. Future nutrition education programs are needed to improve health equity and the population’s overall eating habits.

ASSOCIATION OF INFANT FEEDING PRACTICES AND FOOD NEOPHOBIA AMONG PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN OROGUN COMMUNITY, IBADAN

This study determined food neophobia (FN) and the relationship of infant feeding practice (IFP) and (FN) among pre-school children in Orogun community, Ibadan. Three hundred and seventy mothers of pre-school children were chosen using a systematic random sampling technique from a pre-survey house to house list of eligible children. A semi-structured questionnaire that included socio-demographic characteristics, retrospective breastfeeding practice, retrospective complementary feeding practice (CFP) and FN scales were used to collect information. Data were analyzed using descriptive and logistic regression. The exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rate was 26.8% and 38% of the mothers had a good breastfeeding practice. Timely initiation of complementary feeding was 54%. The prevalence of FN was 35%. Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds for FN was higher among children who were initiated to breastfeeding late (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 0.886 – 2.31), children that were not breastfed on demand (OR = 1.766, 95% CI: 0.925 – 3.372), those not exclusively breastfed for six months (OR = 1.366, 95% CI: 0.834 – 2.240) and children introduced to complementary food before 6 months (OR = 1.473, 95% CI: 0.787 – 2.760). Most rejected foods were from the fruits and vegetable group. There were suboptimal IFP in the study and prevalence of FN was high. Poor IFP were associated with FN. Community-based nutrition education programs should be encouraged to improve IFP.