Evaluation outcomes of a long-running adult nutrition education programme

Abstract

Objective: For more than 20 years, the FOODcents adult nutrition education programme has been delivered to Western Australians. The aim of the programme is to provide disadvantaged individuals with the knowledge, skills and motivation to buy healthy foods on a limited budget. The present study evaluated whether the FOODcents curriculum and the way it is delivered are effective in improving participants' nutrition-related knowledge and behaviours. Design: Evaluation data were collected via in-session pre-post questionnaires and a post-course online questionnaire. Setting: Western Australia. Subjects: Data were collected from participants attending just over one-half (54 %) of the FOODcents courses conducted over the two-year evaluation period. In total, 927 course participants provided usable data. Results: After exposure to the course, respondents demonstrated an improved ability to: (i) categorize foods according to the frequency with which they should be consumed and the proportion of the food budget that should be allocated to them; (ii) correctly interpret nutrition labels on food products; and (iii) appreciate the link between diet/obesity and a range of diseases. Improvements in the latter were especially pronounced among participants of low socio-economic status. In terms of behaviour change, significant improvements in fruit and vegetable consumption were reported, along with reductions in the consumption of fast food. Participants of low socio-economic status reported the greatest changes. Conclusions:The results indicate that the FOODcents nutrition education programme improves participants' nutrition-related knowledge and behaviours.

New frontiers in community initiatives to increase vegetable consumption

“…Another intervention in WA, the FOODcents program, provided an individually focused and holistic approach to nutrition knowledge, food shopping, budget management and cooking for participants from disadvantaged communities. It had some success in improved knowledge of health and nutrition, and in particular reported an increase in F&V consumption by Aboriginal participants …”

“…Another intervention in WA, the FOODcents program, provided an individually focused and holistic approach to nutrition knowledge, food shopping, budget management and cooking for participants from disadvantaged communities. It had some success in improved knowledge of health and nutrition, and in particular reported an increase in F&V consumption by Aboriginal participants 25,26. A promising intervention from New Zealand was a recent study of educated, low F&V consuming young adults, which compared the use of a mobile phone-based intervention with provision of additional F&V s to participants over 13 days 27.…”

Extending the paradigm: a policy framework for healthy and equitable eating (HE2)

“…Establish and implement policies to improve the conditions that perpetuate poor nutrition among disadvantaged groups, ensuring that financial needs are met with respect to food shopping and consumption and that guidelines exist that promote healthy food provision within the emergency food sector (13,(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)…”

“…Ensure nutrition literacy needs are met for children and families and that support and resources are provided to equip children to stay in the education system for as long as possible (9,23,(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)…”

Whetting disadvantaged adults’ appetite for nutrition education

“…Continuing investment in adult nutrition education is contingent upon the ability to demonstrate programme effectiveness, making rigorous evaluations an important aspect of programme implementation (8)(9)(10) . As a result, research to date has focused on assessing the extent to which programmes are able to achieve knowledge and behavioural outcomes (2)(3)(4)6,11,12) . To produce generalisable results, these studies have typically been quantitative in design, thereby relying on participants being adequately literate to complete surveys.…”