Increase Nutrition Knowledge Research Articles

FP16 South Dakota Team Nutrition: Increasing Access to Healthier Food Options

Objective SD Department of Education (DOE) in partnership with South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension engages nutrition and wellness stakeholders to build statewide support in creating healthy environments and increasing student access to healthier food options through integrating South Dakota Team Nutrition programs within schools and communities, especially those with a high percentage of American Indian youth. Description Schools and communities were actively involved in implementation of Fuel Up to Play 60 activities to increase school breakfast participation, Power Chef Challenge lessons to enhance student's food preparation and culinary skills, Farm to School initiatives to increase local food procurement, and Smarter Lunchroom Movement strategies to help nudge students to voluntarily select the healthiest food options. Sub-grant funding was awarded to increase school district access to financial resources needed to implement these activities. Evaluation Process evaluation measures, outcome measures of students’ nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and food environment and wellness policy measures were used to demonstrate impact across all activities. During 2016-2019 implementation, Fuel Up to Play 60 was the program of choice in 17 schools. Among those schools, five increased school breakfast participation, and 11 increased school lunch participation. Power Chef Challenge activities reached over 2,000 students and significant increases in nutrition knowledge were seen among participants. Gardening efforts are currently underway in six schools. Two schools participated in the Smarter Lunchroom Movement, and both demonstrated an increase in the Smarter Lunchrooms Self-Assessment Score Card score after participating in grant-funded activities. Conclusions and Implications Through Team Nutrition Training Grant funds, SD Team Nutrition has been able to provide schools across the state the opportunity to engage in a variety of nutrition education programs that positively impact student health and wellness. Grant Year 2016

NP4 Improving Preschool Children's Food Knowledge and Food Choice Intentions: Results From a Childhood Obesity Preventive Intervention

Objective To examine the impact of a large, preventive intervention on preschool children's food knowledge, and intentions to choose nutrient-dense foods for meals and snacks. Description A total of 29 classrooms across 14 predominantly low-income, rural childcare centers (n = 215 children, 52% female, mean age = 4.1y) were randomized into 1 of 16 conditions that differed based on whether a classroom received an intervention curriculum (Healthy Eating, Active Play and Self-Regulation) or parent/caregiver guidance. For the purposes of this study, we focus solely on the 11-week Healthy Eating (HE) curriculum that covered a number of topics, including: identifying “GO” and “WHOA” foods, food groups, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and building a “healthy plate.” Evaluation Measures were collected pre-post. To assess children's food knowledge, children were first asked to choose their favorite foods from a list of 30 foods and four beverages that vary in energy content. Children were then asked to choose foods for a “healthy lunch” using foods from the same list. A snack selection procedure was used to assess children's food preferences and ability to choose the healthier choice from a list of nine pairs of foods; each pair contained an energy-dense and nutrient-dense food. Children in the HE condition showed a slightly larger increase in their ability to correctly identify nutrient-dense foods. Children in the HE condition showed an increase in nutrition knowledge, and competence in making nutrient-dense snack and meal choices. Children in the HE condition also showed more than a two-fold greater increase in their ability to identify nutrient-dense snack foods than children who were not in the HE condition. Data collection with more than 700 participants is ongoing; results including these additional participants will be shared. Conclusion and Implications Increasing children's food/nutrition knowledge and intentions to choose nutrient-dense over energy-dense foods may lead to the development of healthy dietary patterns that prevent the development of obesity in young children.

FP15 Students Pick a Better Snack: Increase Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Objective To determine to what extent the Pick a Better Snack (PABS) lessons increase students’ knowledge of nutrition, increase favorable attitudes towards eating fresh fruits and vegetables (FV) and improves recognition/identification of the five MyPlate food groups compared to students who did not receive lessons. Description Children are hesitant to try unfamiliar foods. The program aimed to increase nutritional knowledge and to improve attitudes and recognition of fresh FV through a monthly PABS lesson. Participants included 2nd and 3rd grade students at four elementary schools participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grant in Clark County School District, Las Vegas, during the 2017-2018 school year. Nine monthly lessons and a cooking demonstration were provided by a trained chef/registered dietician to the students (n = 380) in the intervention classrooms at each school, along with a monthly take home packet including FV fact sheets, parent newsletters in Spanish and English, and bingo cards to reinforce the lessons. Each school also had a control group (n = 99) that did not receive the lessons. Evaluation A two-level hierarchical linear model, in which classrooms (randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions) were nested within schools, was used to test the effect of the intervention on the posttest measures—nutrition knowledge (4 items; α = .48), MyPlate knowledge (4 items; α = .45), and attitudes towards FV (15 items; α = .77)—while controlling for pretest scores. The intervention group did not have higher increases in nutrition knowledge than the comparison group. However, the intervention group had higher increases in favorable attitudes towards FV than the comparison group, and higher increases in MyPlate knowledge than the comparison group. Conclusions and Implications Results demonstrate the effectiveness of PABS to increase students’ knowledge of MyPlate and increase favorable attitudes towards FV.

FP17 Changes in Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior After Implementation of Serving Up MyPlate and Vegetable Taste Tests

Objective Improve student nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and consumption of legumes, dark green, and red/orange vegetables after implementation of nutrition education and taste test activities in the classroom. Description The Wisconsin Team Nutrition program works to promote nutrition education in schools to create environments that are conducive to the development of healthy behaviors related to food and nutrition. In an effort to increase nutrition knowledge and positively influence dietary habits of students, Wisconsin Team Nutrition provided funding to ten schools to implement nutrition education and taste testing activities in third and fourth grade classrooms. Students were taught using the We Are What We Eat lessons from the United States Department of Agriculture Team Nutrition's Serving Up MyPlate: A Yummy Curriculum and tasted recipes containing foods from the dark green, red/orange, and legume subgroups. Evaluation Surveys were used to measure changes in students’ nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Electronic surveys were distributed to participating classes with instructions to complete before and after implementation of the nutrition education lessons and taste testing activities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze pre versus post nutrition education changes in students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Conclusion and Implications Incorporating nutrition education and taste testing activities improved students’ attitudes towards legumes and increased self-reported consumption of dark green vegetables. In addition, students demonstrated an increase in nutrition knowledge between pre-survey and post-survey. Results support the implementation of nutrition education and/or taste testing activities in the classroom to improve student nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Future interventions should investigate the impact between nutrition education with and without taste testing. Grant Year 2016

P52 A Nutrition Education Intervention on Dietary Management of Chronic Diseases Among the Elderly in Delaware County, Indiana

Background Multiple factors, such as aging and lifestyle habits, contribute to chronic diseases within the aging population. In the United States, 80% of individuals ≥ 65y have been diagnosed with at least one type of chronic disease. Studies have indicated that nutrition education interventions have shown positive results in increasing nutrition knowledge and healthier food selections in older adults. Objective To provide older individuals with the knowledge needed to help manage chronic diseases by making healthier food selections. The two objectives were to determine if: the Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension (PSCE) nutrition curriculum improves nutrition knowledge; and participants’ attitudes toward dietary behavior changes were positive. Study Design, Settings, Participants This study was conducted in three senior living centers in Indiana with one site set as the control. Subjects for this study were male and female individuals who were ≥ 60 y old. Implementation of the pilot-tested, PSCE nutrition education curricula was utilized. Six lessons were administered over six weeks immediately following the senior congregant lunch. Knowledge and intent to change eating behavior tests were administered after the lesson plan, and at the conclusion of the intervention. Results Sixty two participants (49% male/female) with a mean age range of 70-79 y completed the study, and 63% indicated they had at least one chronic condition. Wilcoxon Signed Rank indicated a significant improvement in nutrition knowledge of participants who completed the post intervention test (z = -2.56, P = .01). One-way ANOVA indicated that after the grains lesson plan, the intervention participants (N = 32) intent to change behavior as reported in “I will eat ≥ 3 oz of grain/d next month” was significant, P = .05. Conclusion There was a significant improvement in knowledge change. Intent to change behavior was significant after the grains intervention, but not after the other five lessons. Some seniors indicated older age > 85 y was a barrier to change since they “made it that far.” Designing interventions for seniors needs to be age specific targeting younger seniors for behavior change. Funding Ball State University.

P72 Impact of a Community Cooking Program on Self-Efficacy and Usage of Healthy Foods

Objective Evaluate the effectiveness of a five-week community cooking program on adult cooking self-efficacy and usage of healthy foods through pre- and post-surveys. Use of Theory or Research Sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) has been found to decrease risk for chronic disease. In 2015, only 6.9% of Ohio adults consumed the recommended 2-3 cups of vegetables per day. Research has shown that self-efficacy is a significant predictor in FVC. Cooking for the Family was developed to address self-efficacy by providing hands-on cooking experiences using fresh produce. Target Audience Adult residents from a large metropolitan area in Ohio. Program Description Cooking for the Family is a five-week program that educates individuals about cooking healthy and affordable meals. Its goals are to increase cooking knowledge and skills and self-efficacy in the kitchen. One meal is cooked each week and participants are given produce to take home to cook the same meal with their families. At the fifth class, participants bring their family to cook with them. Participants who successfully complete the program receive a cooking kit which includes cooking supplies and coupons. Evaluation Methods Participants completed pre- and post-surveys measuring consumption of 20 healthy food items introduced in classes, self-efficacy and program satisfaction. Results Participants (N = 58) reported significantly higher levels of self-efficacy after completing the program (PreM = 12.6724, PostM = 17.8103, P Conclusions These findings indicate that in-person nutrition education and hands-on learning are effective strategies for improving cooking self-efficacy and healthy food consumption. Findings should be considered in efforts to increase nutrition knowledge and healthy behaviors. Funding NIH.

Assessment of a Nutrition Intervention on the Nutrition Knowledge, of Adolescent Soccer Academy Players (P16-044-19)

ObjectivesNational surveys found that adolescents in America often fail to meet dietary recommendations probably due to lack of nutrition knowledge, giving rise to chronic diseases such as obesity, coronary heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. Knowledge about sports nutrition is considered essential for adolescent athletes to have healthy eating habits. It would help maximize their performance. The aim of the study was to assess the nutrition knowledge of adolescent soccer players pre and post a nutrition education intervention. MethodsA study was conducted on the youth academy level soccer players (n = 21) from three age groups (U19, U17, U15), to determine their nutrition knowledge using a validated Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire. From the completed questionnaire, on factors like energy refueling, hydration, supplements and protein, a knowledge score was calculated for each athlete ranging from 0 (0%) to 16 (100%). The players participated in a nutrition education intervention for 5 months, consisting of monthly nutritional education newsletters, electronic handouts and one-hour nutrition lesson in the form of jeopardy game and nutrition education workshop for the players and their parents. Following the intervention, they filled out the same questionnaire again. ResultsFrom their responses, pre- and post-intervention, we found that at baseline, nutrition knowledge was highest in the U19 team as 44% of the responses were correct, lesser for the U17 team (25%) and least for the U15 team (6%). However, the intervention only produced a 6% increase in nutrition knowledge in the U19 while the intervention produced a 19% increase in the U17 team and a 44% increase in the U15 team. There was significant improvement in the category under supplements which asked whether it was better to get vitamins and minerals from supplements than from foods (P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in improvement of protein knowledge after the intervention in any group. ConclusionsThe study shows that the nutrition education intervention was most effective for the younger players. Overall, more nutrition education, especially in the area of proteins, would be required for these players to increase their nutrition knowledge so that they know the type of food they should select and understand the importance of healthy eating. Funding SourcesNo funding required from any organisation.

A Pilot Nutrition Education Intervention with Division I Women’s Basketball Players

Appropriate nutrition is important for both health and optimization of sport performance; however, many athletes do not have sufficient nutrition knowledge to engage in ideal nutrition practices. Few studies have been conducted to investigate the efficacy of a nutrition education intervention on athletes’ nutrition knowledge, and even fewer have done so using a validated assessment tool. PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in nutrition knowledge of NCAA Division I women’s basketball players after a sport-focused nutrition education intervention using a validated nutrition knowledge survey. METHODS: NCAA Division I women basketball players (N=8) completed a validated nutrition knowledge survey (Calella et al., 2017) that evaluated both general and sport nutrition. Athletes then participated in six, once weekly, 20-minute nutrition education sessions led by a Registered Dietitian. Topics included: hydration, carbohydrates, protein, fats, meal planning, and micronutrients/supplements. At the end of six weeks, the survey was re-administered. Scores were summed as +1 for a correct answer and +0 for no answer, an incorrect answer, a double-answer, or the “I don’t know” option. Maximum possible score was 97. A paired-samples t-test was conducted to evaluate baseline versus follow-up scores. RESULTS: At baseline, athletes scored 40.5±18.0 out of 97 possible, 27.0±12.7 out of 64 possible, and 13.9±6.2 out of 33 possible for the total survey, general nutrition and sport nutrition sections, respectively. Significant average score increases were found for the total survey overall (62.2±11.7, p=0.004), within the general nutrition section (40.4±7.7, p=0.015), and within the sport nutrition section (21.9±5.9, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The education intervention used in this pilot study succeeded in increasing nutrition knowledge of Division I women’s basketball players. Future research should include intake assessments to determine whether eating habits improve after nutrition education. This research was funded by the MSU College of Education via a Summer Research Fellowship.

EFEKTIVITAS PENDIDIKAN GIZI MENGGUNAKAN MEDIA EDUTAINMENT CARD TERHADAP PENINGKATAN PENGETAHUAN TENTANG PEDOMAN GIZI SEIMBANG PADA SISWA SEKOLAH DASAR

Background: Indonesia is still faced with a triple burden of nutrition, such as malnutrition, stunting and overnutrition. According to UNICEF, one of the cause nutrition problems is the lack of knowledge about nutrition. The prevention of health problem starts at the early stage, namely the understanding of balance nutrition guideline in school-age children. New method need to be made to make it easier for students to arrest nutrition message, namely in the form of edutainment cards.Objective: To determine the effectiveness of nutrition education by using the edutainment card method on knowledge about balance nutrition guideline in elementary school.Research Methods: The type of research is Experimental with pre and post-control group design design. Sampling using random sampling technique to get 30 treatment samples and 30 control samples. Research was in SDN Palebon 02, conducted in Februari 2019. The data collected are sample identity dataand knowledge of balance nutrition guideline. The data was analysed by independent t-test with 95% confidence level.Results: There was significant difference in knowledge about balance nutrition guideline in the treatment and control groups after intervention with edutainment card method (p value = 0.001).Conclusion: Edutainment card as a media for education is effective for increasing nutrition knowledge in children

Nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards breast cancer prevention among the female population of Iran University of medical science students

Diet plays a measurable role in breast cancer (BC) prevention. The aims of this study were to assess nutrition-related BC prevention Knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) of female university students and to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics of students and their KAP. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 500 female students from Iran University of Medical Science (IUMS). A pretested self-administered questionnaires were used to assess the participants’ nutrition-related BC prevention KAP. A total of 500 students completed the survey. Students’ knowledge with the mean score of 16.97, significantly varied by age (P= 0.03), the field of study (P= 0.001) and family history of BC (P= 0.01). The mean score of attitudes and practice toward nutrition-related BC prevention factors were 24.86 and 39.39, respectively. A significant relationship was observed between nutrition knowledge and attitude (r = 0.27, P < 0.001). Also, Nutrition-related attitudes were positively correlated with the BC prevention dietary practices (r = 0.23, P < 0.001). Nutrition KAP about BC prevention factors was found to be influenced by individual factors such as age, field of study, familial history of BC, job and residency status. Together, our findings confirm that increasing nutrition knowledge is not sufficient for dietary behavior change, but is necessary.

Participatory farm diversification and nutrition education increase dietary diversity in Western Kenya.

Our study assessed the effectiveness of a community‐based participatory approach in increasing micronutrient adequacy of diets of women and young children through agricultural activities and nutrition education in Vihiga County, Western Kenya. Outcome indicators include the mean dietary diversity score (DDS), the percentage of women and children reaching minimum dietary diversity (MDD), and micronutrient adequacy (mean adequacy ratio). The project consisted of(a) a diagnostic survey covering agrobiodiversity and nutrition, (b) participatory development of activities to improve nutrition, (c) a baseline survey covering dietary intakes, (d) participatory implementation of the developed activities, and (e) an endline survey covering dietary intakes. The diagnostic survey was conducted in 10 sublocations of Vihiga County, which were pair‐matched and split into five intervention and five control sublocations. The intervention sublocations developed activities towards improving nutrition. Before implementation, a baseline survey collected the dietary intake data of 330 women–child pairs in the intervention and control sublocations. To support the activities, communities received agriculture and nutrition training. After 1 year of implementation, an endline survey collected dietary intake data from 444 women–child pairs in the intervention and control sublocations. Impact was assessed using the difference‐in‐difference technique. Highly significant positive impacts on children's mean DDS (treatment effect = 0.7, p < 0.001) and on the share of children reaching MDD (treatment effect = 0.2, p < 0.001) were shown. Higher dietary diversity can be explained by the development of subsistence and income‐generating pathways and increased nutrition knowledge. Participatory farm diversification and nutrition education were shown to significantly increase dietary diversity of young children in Western Kenya.

Mobile phone applications to overcome malnutrition among preschoolers: a systematic review

BackgroundMalnutrition is one of the most important reasons for child mortality in developing countries, especially during the first 5 years of life. We set out to systematically review evaluations of interventions that use mobile phone applications to overcome malnutrition among preschoolers.MethodsThe review was conducted and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses: the PRISMA statement. To be eligible, the study had to have evaluated mobile phone interventions to increase nutrition knowledge or enhance behavior related to nutrition in order to cope with malnutrition (under nutrition or overweight) in preschoolers. Articles addressing other research topics, older children or adults, review papers, theoretical and conceptual articles, editorials, and letters were excluded. The PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases covering both medical and technical literature were searched for studies addressing preschoolers’ malnutrition using mobile technology.ResultsSeven articles were identified that fulfilled the review criteria. The studies reported in the main positive signals concerning the acceptance of mobile phone based nutritional interventions addressing preschoolers. Important infrastructural and technical limitations to implement mHealth in low and middle income countries (LMICs) were also communicated, ranging from low network capacity and low access to mobile phones to specific technical barriers. Only one study was identified evaluating primary anthropometric outcomes.ConclusionsThe review findings indicated a need for more controlled evaluations using anthropometric primary endpoints and put relevance to the suggestion that cooperation between government organizations, academia, and industry is necessary to provide sufficient infrastructure support for mHealth use against malnutrition in LMICs.

Pregnant mothers have limited knowledge and poor dietary diversity practices, but favorable attitude towards nutritional recommendations in rural Ethiopia: evidence from community-based study

BackgroundMothers’ nutrition is crucial for good pregnancy outcomes and in improving children’s nutritional status. The present study aimed to examine the level of knowledge and attitude towards maternal nutrition and dietary diversity practices among pregnant mothers in rural central Ethiopia.MethodsIn-depth analysis of data from a prospective study involving a total of 389 eligible pregnant women, enrolled during their second antenatal care (ANC) visit was conducted between August 2014 and March 2015. Study participants were selected by employing systematic sampling techniques. Dietary diversity practices were assessed by asking each individual pregnant woman to provide a single 24-h dietary recall. Simple frequencies and graphs were used to present the analyzed data and interpretations.ResultsVegetables were listed top as major sources of vitamin A (45.5%) and iron (23.8%). Nearly half (47%) of the mothers lacked awareness on balanced and diversified diets. Conversely, nearly three fourths (73.8%) and two thirds (66.8%) of them had favorable attitudes towards dietary diversity and early initiation of antenatal care follow up. With a median dietary diversity score of four, starchy staples (100%), legumes and nuts (89.2%) were major food groups consumed by almost all of the mothers included in the study.ConclusionThough pregnant mothers had limited knowledge and poor dietary diversity practices, they exhibited a relatively favorable attitude towards major nutritional recommendations. Use of antenatal care and its follow up as a point of entry for educating pregnant women and increasing nutrition knowledge and attitude is recommended.

Barriers and Facilitators to Mediterranean Diet Adoption by Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Northern Europe

Dietary interventions for weight loss are effective therapies for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The Mediterranean diet might benefit these patients, but it is not followed consistently in Northern European countries. We examined factors that determine Mediterranean diet adoption and maintenance in a northern European population. We used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the effects of a 12-week Mediterranean diet intervention and perceived barriers and facilitators. Nineteen adults with NAFLD were recruited from a tertiary hepatology center in England. Participants were taught behavioral strategies through the provision of shopping lists, meal planners, and recipes; no advice was given on calorie allowances or physical activities. We used the 14-point Mediterranean diet assessment tool to assess dietary intake, based on a small number of foods in servings per day or servings per week, at baseline and after 12 weeks; participants were assigned scores of low (<5 points), moderate (6-9 points), or high (10-14 points). Semistructured interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the framework method. Twelve weeks after the dietary advice, Mediterranean diet adoption significantly increased from moderate to high (mean increase, 2.2 points; from 7.6 ± 2.5 at baseline to 9.8 ± 2.8 at 12 wk) (P= .006). This increase was associated with a mean reduction in body weight of 2.4 kg (from 99.2 ± 17.0 kg at baseline to 96.8 ± 17.5 kg at 12 wk) (P= .001) and increased serum concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 72% of participants (from 1.10 ± 0.8 at baseline to 1.20 ± 1.30 vs 1.00 ± 0.5 at 12 wk) (P= .009). Increased nutrition knowledge and skills, family support, Mediterranean diet promotion in media and clinical settings, and nutritional care facilitated diet changes. Barriers to Mediterranean diet uptake included an obesogenic environment, life stressors, and demand for convenience. Poor understanding of the causes and significance of NAFLD adversely affected readiness to change dietary habits. In an analysis of patients with NAFLD in the northern United Kingdom, we found a 12-week Mediterranean diet intervention was acceptable and associated with significant reductions in body weight and increased serum levels of high-density lipoprotein. We identified barriers and facilitators that could support appropriate treatment adaptations and guide personalized intervention approaches.

Nutrient Production and Micronutrient Gaps: Evidence from an Agriculture‐Nutrition Randomized Control Trial

AbstractIntegrated agriculture nutrition programs can increase the quantity and quality of nutritious foods through multiple pathways. Increased household production increases the availability of own produced food for consumption, as well as income for food purchases. Increased knowledge of nutrition introduced through a behavior change communication strategy can change food preferences and shift purchasing decisions towards nutritious foods. In a randomized control trial, we demonstrate that an integrated agriculture‐nutrition program in Burkina Faso improved the quality of diets by reducing household macro and micronutrient consumption gaps. We estimate production and consumption nutrient gaps for households in our sample by comparing reported consumption or production of nutrients relative to recommended daily allowances for households. Differences between actual nutrient consumption and production values and the recommended daily allowances provide an estimate of the nutrient gaps (surplus or deficit) within the household. We find that the integrated agriculture‐nutrition program reduced consumption nutrient gaps in treatment households. We also investigate whether the production or nutrition knowledge pathways explain the consumption nutrient gap treatment effects. Though crop choice led to a diversified household production of nutritious foods in treatment villages on the extensive production margin, increased household production of nutrients does not explain the improvements in diet quality due to limited treatment effects for the estimated production nutrient gaps at the intensive production margin. Consumption expenditures in treatment villages did increase purchases of nutritious foods, suggesting that the behavior change communication strategy is effective at not only increasing nutrition knowledge, but also in affecting consumer preferences.

Students' Risk Factors for and Perception of Type 2 Diabetes at an Upstate University College: A Pilot Study

ObjectiveEarly detection of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D) may slow down or prevent the onset of the disease. The purpose of this pilot study was to generate preliminary data on what risk factors for T2D are most common among college students at SUNY Oneonta. We further assessed actual risk and students' perceived susceptibility, severity and self‐efficacy of the disease, and we identified factors associated with perception of T2D risk.Research design and methodsData of 44 nondiabetic college students with metabolic profile available, out of 132 that completed an online questionnaire survey was included in this cross‐sectional analysis. Actual risk factors were determined based on American Diabetes Association screening guidelines and the Health Belief Model's constructs was used for perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, and self‐efficacy. Sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, and nutrition knowledge information were obtained. A Bod Pod machine, CLIA waived CardioPlus analyzer, Omron BP652N 7 Series Wrist Blood Pressure were used to determine body weight, fasting glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, respectively. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0.ResultsPhysical inactivity was the most prevalent risk factor for T2D among college students (61.4% did &lt;5days/week of 30 mins exercise), 45.5% had impaired fasting glucose levels (≥100mg/dL), 56.8% had low HDL‐c levels (&lt;60 mg/dL), 43.2% had family history of T2D, and 36.4% had increased BMI (≥25kg/m2). 70% of students with detected impaired fasting glucose responded that they were at low risk of developing T2D. Students with family history of T2D (7.84 ±2.43) perceived the seriousness of the disease at a lesser degree than those without family history (7.24 ±2.60), but the difference was not statistically significant (t = −0.78, P=0.44). Only 31% of the participants felt confident that they can prevent T2D. Correlations showed significant positive associations between perceived risk of T2D and BMI (r = 0.49, P=0.001), and family history (r = 0.34, P=0.024), whereas a significant negative association was found with HDL‐c (r = −0.41, P=0.005). Participants had relatively adequate overall nutrition knowledge score (74%, recommended is ≥75%). However, knowledge scores on the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables were low, 36% and 34%, respectively. In multivariate binary logistic regression, perceived risk of T2D was associated with physical inactivity (P=0.037) and family history of T2D (P=0.014).ConclusionsCollege students, particularly those with unknown impaired fasting glucose levels were overly optimistic about their own health and considerably underestimated their actual risk of developing T2D. With prevalence of high number of actual risk factors for T2D among the population, there is the need for intervention to raise awareness of the disease, empower students to have better lifestyle choices, increase nutrition knowledge, and improve self‐efficacy to prevent T2D.Support or Funding InformationThis research was funded by SUNY Oneonta 2016–17 Faculty Grant Program (Round II), and 2016–17 Faculty Development FundThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

A Summer Obesity Prevention Program for Hispanic Kids and Families through Vacation Bible School: A Pilot Study

Objective: Building a Healthy Temple (BHT) Vacation Bible School (VBS) Program aimed to promote healthy lifestyle for children and their families through integration of spiritual and physical health. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of BHT VBS on healthy behaviors. Methods: The BHT VBS is a week long, multipronged intervention including health-oriented scripture readings, hands-on healthy eating and physical activities as well as parental health education. Using Train-the-Trainer model, the program was implemented in three predominantly Hispanic churches in San Antonio, Texas in 2016. A pre- and post- one-group design was used to evaluate intervention effect through self-administered questionnaires at baseline and one -week post-intervention. Outcome measures included children’s awareness of faith-health connection, self-efficacy on healthy eating, food preference, eating patterns and physical activity (PA) level. Parental knowledge and attitude toward healthy living, as well as eating and PA patterns were measured. Paired t-test was performed to compare pre and post changes in intervention outcomes. Results: Among the 315 children and families took part in the BHT VBS, 114 children and 60 parents consented to data collection, Fifty-three children and 25 parents completing both baseline and endpoint questionnaires. Children significantly increased: awareness scores of the faith-health connection; self-efficacy scores on drinking water and eating whole grains; preference on fruits and whole grains; eating pattern scores for fruits and vegetables (FV), and whole grains; and consumption of fruits and water. Parents significantly increased nutrition knowledge scores, increased FV eating pattern scores and FV intake, and reduced sugary drink consumption. Both children and parents significantly increased weekly PA level and decreased daily screen time. Conclusion: Although brief, the BHT VBS resulted in favorable changes in awareness, attitude, preference, selfefficacy, eating and physical activity patterns toward a healthier lifestyle in both children and parents in Hispanic faith communities.

Nourishing networks: A social-ecological analysis of a network intervention for improving household nutrition in Western Kenya

RationaleA growing body of research emphasizes the need to engage social networks in maternal and child nutrition interventions. However, an understanding of how interventions functionally engage not only mothers but fathers, grandparents, friends, and other social network members remains limited. ObjectiveThis study uses an adaptation of a social-ecological model to analyze the multiple levels at which the Kanyakla Nutrition Program operates to change behavior. MethodsThis study analyzes focus group data (four groups; n = 35, 7 men and 28 women) following the implementation of the Kanyakla Nutrition Program, a novel nutrition intervention engaging social networks to increase nutrition knowledge, shift perceptions, and promote positive practices for infant and young child feeding and community nutrition in general. Results: Participant perspectives indicate that the Kanyakla Nutrition Program contributed to nutrition knowledge and confidence, changed perceptions, and supported infant and child feeding practices at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels. However, many respondents report challenges in transcending barriers at the broader community and systems levels of influence, where environmental and economic constraints continue to affect food access. ConclusionAnalysis of the Kanyakla Nutrition Program suggests that for interventions addressing household level determinants of nutrition, simultaneously engaging the household's network of interpersonal and community relationships can play a role in building momentum and consensus to address persistent structural barriers to improved nutrition.

The Effectiveness of Brief Information and Self-Efficacy-Based Interventions in Influencing Snack Choices in Homeless Individuals.

Homeless adults frequently experience poor nutrition. Research suggests raising self-efficacy and nutritional knowledge can increase healthy eating but that the choice of specific behavioral change techniques (BCTs) is also critical. This study investigated how BCTs, operationalized to increase nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy, might influence the choice of homeless adults when presented with a "healthy" and an "unhealthy" snack. A total of 125 homeless adults were randomly allocated to watch 1 of 4 brief films: "control," "[nutrition] information only," "self-efficacy" (aimed at increasing self-efficacy and general healthy eating knowledge), and "enhanced self-efficacy" (as "self-efficacy," but the presenter identified themselves as a homeless adult). Post-film, participants were invited to choose between a healthy and an unhealthy snack. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and chi square. Participants in the "enhanced self-efficacy" condition were significantly more likely to choose the healthy option compared to those in the control condition; for the "self-efficacy" condition, the difference was marginally significant. Perceived knowledge and self-efficacy were significantly associated and those with high self-efficacy were significantly more likely to choose a healthy snack regardless of condition. Homeless adults are more likely to make healthy snack choices if their nutritional self-efficacy is increased through encouragement by a peer.

Increasing Nutrition Knowledge of Chinese Americans through a Culturally-Tailored Bento Box Workshop

Increasing Nutrition Knowledge of Chinese Americans through a Culturally-Tailored Bento Box Workshop