Revisiting the Master Food Volunteer Program: Examining how to enhance nutrition education in the United States

America’s diet-related illness crisis intersects with a lack of nutrition literacy, nutrition security, and systemic inequities. The Cooperative Extension Service’s (CES) national infrastructure could potentially provide equitable access to quality nutrition education in the US utilizing a Master Food Volunteer (MFV) model. This research brief examined preliminary evidence for the MFV model as a support for CES agents and paraprofessionals, and results show a paucity of evidence. Further research and a pilot program with pre-established measures for health-related knowledge and behaviors could elucidate the model’s potential to increase equitable access to evidence-based programming, nutrition, and implementation guidance

Access to Fruits and Vegetables for Low-Income Populations: A Mixed Methods Study to Healthy Eating

Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables (F&V) can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Lower-income individuals do not consume the recommended servings F&V. Access to and consumption of F&Vs is a multi-dimensional issue that includes various levels of influence. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine these various levels of influences and explore strategies to increase F&V consumption. Aim 1 assessed low-income individuals' perceptions about how F&V access programs, including mobile markets, electronic benefits (EBT) cards at farmers' markets, and community gardens, could improve F&V consumption. Participants felt that mobile markets addressed barriers such as availability of fresh F&V, convenience, and quality and variety. Participants had mixed opinions about how helpful EBT was in overcoming cost barriers. Participants had uncertainty about community gardens, mostly surrounding feasibility and implementation. Aim 2 compared the predictive power of geographic information systems (GIS) and self-reported perceived access data for estimating the association between F&V access and consumption. Results showed GIS-based measures had more predictive power than perceived access measures for estimating the association between access and consumption. Perceived access measures (quality, variety, and convenience) were not associated with higher consumption. Aim 3 analyzed stakeholder arguments in access to healthy food state-level legislation legislative hearing data and newspaper articles. Bills that expanded access, rather than restricted access, were most likely to pass. For enacted legislation, non-profit organizations were the largest proponents. Among stakeholder arguments used to support expanding legislation, fairness and economic security were the most frequently cited. Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax bills accounted for nearly all failed restricting legislation and were opposed by businesses. While proponents focused mainly on factual arguments, opponents focused heavily on value-laden arguments such as economic security, fear of big government, and personal responsibility. Businesses used valued-laden arguments more often than non-profits. Data from these aims suggest that changing the food environment, while also addressing how low-income individuals' perceive that environment is the first step towards increasing F&V consumption. Policy efforts should focus on improving geographic proximity to healthier food outlets and investing in nutrition education to change low-income individuals' food preferences and increase demand for fresh F&Vs.Doctor of Philosoph

The state of sustainable agriculture and agroecology research and impacts: A survey of U.S. scientists

A growing body of research suggests that although sustainable agriculture, particularly agroecology, can address challenges such as those related to climate change, ecosystem services, food insecurity, and farmer livelihoods, the transition to such systems remains limited. To gain insight into the state of U.S. sustainable agriculture and agroecology, we developed a 28-question mixed-method survey that was administered to scientists in these fields. Respondents (N=168) represented diverse locations, institutions, and career stages. They offered varied definitions of sustainable agriculture, with 40% considering economic and social well-being to be core components. Respondents identified the amount and duration of public research funding as important obstacles to conducting research on sus- tainable agriculture (85% and 61%, respectively). Further, most expressed challenges in communi- cating findings beyond academia, including to the media and policymakers, potentially limiting the impacts of such research. However, respondents expressed satisfaction in several areas, including relationships with community members (81%) and local producers (81%), and interest from students (80%) and research communities (73%), suggesting positive momentum in this field. Earlier versus later career scientists rated research on “human dimensions” as more important, expressed greater concerns over career stability, and were less satisfied with opportunities for policy engagement. Results imply that greater public investments, particularly fostering human dimensions, could support a transition to agroecology and its associated benefits

Assessing Foods and Nutrition Programming Needs of Family and Consumer Sciences Agents in North Carolina

North Carolina Extension specialists conducted a needs assessment of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agents to determine their foods and nutrition programming needs. Researchers examined agent and community needs, agent-offered programming, and barriers and facilitators to program implementation. Results will help inform the development of targeted agent trainings, materials, programs, and technical assistance related to foods and nutrition. The study is intended to help maximize the success of FCS foods and nutrition programming by supporting agents in delivering high-quality, evidence-based programs. This paper reviews study implementation, results, and relevant implications for other Extension professionals interested in performing a similar analysis

Use of a Social Marketing Campaign to Promote Healthy Eating Behaviors Among Low-Income Caregivers

Social marketing is a community and public health approach used in nutrition education that helps to complement programming. Researchers evaluated an eight-week social marketing campaign to promote healthy eating behaviors and encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income caregivers. The campaign focused on the benefits of modeling healthy fruit and vegetable intake behaviors for caregivers of young children through television, radio, digital media, billboards, gas pump toppers, posters, and promotional materials. A survey was conducted to measure campaign awareness. Online data tracked digital reach, frequency, and total impressions. The main study findings were campaign awareness and correctly understanding the campaign’s tagline. We used descriptive analyses to evaluate the social marketing campaign. Data were collected by calling 7,802 phone numbers, 192 respondents agreed to participate in the baseline survey. Among those, 101 remembered seeing/hearing the campaign, and 70 agreed to complete the survey. Sixty-six out of 70 respondents correctly understood the campaign’s message. The campaign was effective in creating awareness of campaign messages. More than 50% of respondents recognized the campaign. Future studies should consider having pre-and post-test surveys, longer-term campaigns, and placing marketing ads at locations that “prompt” behavior change

The state of sustainable agriculture and agroecology research and impacts: A survey of U.S. scientists

A growing body of research suggests that although sustainable agriculture, particularly agroecology, can address challenges such as those related to climate change, ecosystem services, food insecurity, and farmer livelihoods, the transition to such systems remains limited. To gain insight into the state of U.S. sustainable agriculture and agroecology, we developed a 28-question mixed-method survey that was administered to scientists in these fields. Respondents (N=168) represented diverse locations, institutions, and career stages. They offered varied definitions of sustainable agriculture, with 40% considering economic and social well-being to be core components. Respondents identified the amount and duration of public research funding as important obstacles to conducting research on sus- tainable agriculture (85% and 61%, respectively). Further, most expressed challenges in communi- cating findings beyond academia, including to the media and policymakers, potentially limiting the impacts of such research. However, respondents expressed satisfaction in several areas, including relationships with community members (81%) and local producers (81%), and interest from students (80%) and research communities (73%), suggesting positive momentum in this field. Earlier versus later career scientists rated research on “human dimensions” as more important, expressed greater concerns over career stability, and were less satisfied with opportunities for policy engagement. Results imply that greater public investments, particularly fostering human dimensions, could support a transition to agroecology and its associated benefits

Development and Evaluation of a Family-Based Cooking and Nutrition Education Program

Low-income families experience many barriers to purchasing and preparing healthful foods. To help address some of these barriers, a team created a family-based cooking class, Healthy All Together, in which participants learn strategies for how to stretch their food dollars and feed their families healthful meals. In this article, we describe the development of Healthy All Together, report program impacts, and summarize program feedback from participants and instructors. Of particular importance is the idea that engaging children in cooking through a family-based class has the potential to help families consider how to use strategies to mitigate barriers to healthful cooking

Mental Health Service Use for Adult Patients With Co-occurring Depression and Physical Chronic Health Care Needs, 2007–2010

Individuals with mental illness experience poor health and may die prematurely from chronic illness. Understanding whether the presence of co-occurring chronic physical health conditions complicates mental health treatment is important, particularly among patients seeking treatment in primary care settings

A Qualitative Study of Perceived Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Populations, North Carolina, 2011

IntroductionObesity is the leading preventable cause of illness and a major contributor to chronic disease. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables can help manage and prevent weight gain and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Low-income communities often lack stores that sell fresh fruit and vegetables and have instead stores that sell foods low in nutritional value. The objective of this study was to understand perceived community-level barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income people.MethodsWe conducted 8 focus groups involving 68 low-income participants in 2 North Carolina counties, from May 2011 through August 2011. The socioecological model of health guided data analysis, and 2 trained researchers coded transcripts and summarized findings. Four focus groups were conducted in each county; 1 was all male, 5 all female, and 2 mixed sexes. Most participants were black (68%), most were women (69.1%), and most had a high school education or less (61.8%). Almost half received support from either the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or another government assistance program.ResultsWe identified 6 major community-level barriers to access to fruits and vegetables: cost, transportation, quality, variety, changing food environment, and changing societal norms on food.ConclusionPolicymakers should consider supporting programs that decrease the cost and increase the supply of high-quality fruits and vegetables in low-income communities