Kathryn McGirr

Outcome effectiveness of the widely adopted EFNEP curriculum Eating Smart-Being Active.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) curriculum Eating Smart-Being Active (ESBA). DESIGN AND SETTING A quantitative, multi-state, nonequivalent comparison group pretest-posttest design was used to compare nutrition-related behavior changes in participants. ESBA was compared to previously used curricula for 3 different time periods in 5 states using the EFNEP evaluation tool. PARTICIPANTS Adults enrolled in EFNEP who completed their entry and exit paperwork during any of the 3 time points. INTERVENTION An 8-lesson adult curriculum based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate. ANALYSIS Analysis of variance and covariance (with pretests scores and demographic variables as covariates) were used to analyze data with significance at P ≤ .05. RESULTS ESBA elicited a mean positive behavior change for food resource management (P < .01), food safety (P ≤ .001), nutrition (P < .001), and physical activity level in participating states (P ≤ .01). Compared with previous curricula, ESBA produced better mean outcomes in food resource management, nutrition, physical activity, and intakes of fruit and vegetables. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS ESBA is effective at eliciting positive nutrition-related behavior change. The results of this multi-state, practice-based approach suggest that ESBA is effective in multiple settings and has external validity for use in EFNEP and other community nutrition programs.

Recruiting EFNEP Participants: Process and Materials

In response to hunger in the United States, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) was created in 1968 to provide information about nutritious food choices, food safety, food budgeting, and physical activity to adults and children with limited resources. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program is taught by paraprofessionals who come from the target population. According to Colorado State University EFNEP, families are usually referred to EFNEP by program participants and graduates; community agencies affiliatedwith the EFNEP also refer adults and children. Prior to this project, Colorado EFNEP did not use any printedmaterials to recruit potential EFNEP participants, similar to the lack of recruitment materials for potential EFNEP agency partners.

Healthy Baby, Healthy Me Food Safety Curriculum

Pregnant women are at increased risk for developing certain types of foodborne illness due to hormonal changes necessary during pregnancy to promote the survival of the fetus. Pathogens of special concern to pregnant women and their fetuses include Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella species, and Campylobacter jejuni. Nutrition education curricula for pregnant women typically focus on basic food safety concepts, which may not address the pathogen-specific information pregnant women need to understand why they are at higher risk for certain foodborne illnesses, potential health risks to their fetus, and what foods and/or food preparation styles they should avoid to protect themselves and their unborn child.

Recruiting EFNEP agency partners: process and materials.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) was created in 1968 in response to the concerns about hunger in the United States. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program uses paraprofessional educators who represent the target audience to teach basic nutrition, food safety, food resource management, and physical activity to limited-resource families. According to the Colorado State University EFNEP Web site, a common way for both adult and youth participants to be referred to the program is through community agencies affiliated with EFNEP. Prior to this project, Colorado EFNEP did not use any printed materials to recruit potential agency partners, and there was a lack of recruitment materials for potential EFNEP participants.

Intake of Total Omega-3 Docosahexaenoic Acid Associated with Increased Gestational Length and Improved Cognitive Performance at 1 Year of Age

Background: Maternal omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (n-3 DHA) intake during pregnancy and/or lactation has been positively associated with infant growth and cognitive development. However, the majority of studies have not examined the effect of supplementing mothers with n-3 DHA during both pregnancy and lactation and fail to account for total maternal n-3 DHA intake. Aims: To determine the effect of increasing n-3 DHA intake during pregnancy and lactation on infant neurocognitive development in the first year of life. Study Design: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled design was used. Subjects: 115 pregnant women were randomized to receive purified tuna oil supplement containing 300 mg of n-3 DHA and 67 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) per day or an identical placebo (Sunola Oil) for the last trimester of pregnancy through the first 3 months of lactation. Outcome Measures: Neurocognitive development was measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III at 4 and 12 months of age. Gestational length was determined sing the LMP method. Results: Infants born to mothers with >600 mg n-3 DHA/day showed significantly higher scores on the 12 month cognitive scale of the BSID-III (p=0.018) compared to infants born to mothers with <300 mg n-3 DHA/day. Infants born to mothers in the n-3 DHA supplement group had an increase of 4.5 days in gestational age (p=0.048) and significantly lower incidence of preterm birth (5%; n=3) compared to infants born to mothers in the control group (18%; n=10; X2=4.97, p=0.026). Conclusions: Maternal intake of ≥600 mg n-3 DHA/day during the third trimester of gestation throughout the first three months of breastfeeding was associated with small but significant increases in gestational length and enhanced neurocognitive performance in infants at 1 year of age. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT02219399 ClinicalTrials.govBackground: Maternal omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (n-3 DHA) intake during pregnancy and/or lactation has been positively associated with infant growth and cognitive development. However, the majority of studies have not examined the effect of supplementing mothers with n-3 DHA during both pregnancy and lactation and fail to account for total maternal n-3 DHA intake. Aims: To determine the effect of increasing n-3 DHA intake during pregnancy and lactation on infant neurocognitive development in the first year of life. Study Design: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled design was used. Subjects: 115 pregnant women were randomized to receive purified tuna oil supplement containing 300 mg of n-3 DHA and 67 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) per day or an identical placebo (Sunola Oil) for the last trimester of pregnancy through the first 3 months of lactation. Outcome Measures: Neurocognitive development was measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III at 4 and 12 months of age. Gestational length was determined sing the LMP method. Results: Infants born to mothers with >600 mg n-3 DHA/day showed significantly higher scores on the 12 month cognitive scale of the BSID-III (p=0.018) compared to infants born to mothers with <300 mg n-3 DHA/day. Infants born to mothers in the n-3 DHA supplement group had an increase of 4.5 days in gestational age (p=0.048) and significantly lower incidence of preterm birth (5%; n=3) compared to infants born to mothers in the control group (18%; n=10; X2=4.97, p=0.026). Conclusions: Maternal intake of ≥600 mg n-3 DHA/day during the third trimester of gestation throughout the first three months of breastfeeding was associated with small but significant increases in gestational length and enhanced neurocognitive performance in infants at 1 year of age. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT02219399 ClinicalTrials.gov