Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.
Nutrition Education and Behavior (Colfax County)
Plan Goals
To improve the overall health of Colfax County residents through the selection of healthy food choices, food preparation skills, food safety practices and food resource management.
- Owner
- Related Plans
-
KA 703. Nutrition Education and Behavior
Impact Reports
“Cheeseburger Nutrition”
Basic nutrition concepts are important for elementary school youth as they learn to make their own meal and snack choices while away from home. Young students grasp the concepts of the basic food groups, and foods within those groups, best with hands-on activity. Each year that the home economist presents this lesson to students, they are asked to help “build” a large fabric cheeseburger model to illustrate the five food groups found in the cheeseburger. Twenty-one first grade students from Longfellow Elementary School in Raton participated in this year’s presentation. The students had fun learning about the new MyPlate and MyPyramid guidelines as they relate to a variety of food choices. Basic nutrition handouts and easy-to-make recipes were given to students to take home to share with their families. After the presentation, the students enjoyed “food group kabobs” made with ham, cheese, bell pepper, pineapple and bread cubes and received fruit and vegetables stickers. The classroom teacher reported that students seemed to make a conscience effort to choose healthier foods at least while at school.
Basic nutrition concepts are important for elementary school youth as they learn to make their own meal and snack choices while away from home. Young students grasp the concepts of the basic food groups, and foods within those groups, best with hands-on activity. Each year that the home economist presents this lesson to students, they are asked to help “build” a large fabric cheeseburger model to illustrate the five food groups found in the cheeseburger. Twenty-one first grade students from Longfellow Elementary School in Raton participated in this year’s presentation. The students had fun learning about the new MyPlate and MyPyramid guidelines as they relate to a variety of food choices. Basic nutrition handouts and easy-to-make recipes were given to students to take home to share with their families. After the presentation, the students enjoyed “food group kabobs” made with ham, cheese, bell pepper, pineapple and bread cubes and received fruit and vegetables stickers. The classroom teacher reported that students seemed to make a conscience effort to choose healthier foods at least while at school.
Kitchen Creations Part II Pilot Curriculum
In order to address the requests of Kitchen Creations Diabetic Cooking School participants to conduct further diabetes classes, the home economist scheduled a series of three classes in May and June as part of the Kitchen Creations Part II – Pilot Curriculum written by an NMSU graduate student. Five diabetics from Raton and Springer participated in the class held at the High Plains REC building in Raton.
The first class served as a review of the 50/50 method and other basic concepts learned in Kitchen Creations Part I along with additional information on managing complications from diabetes and creating meal plans. “Dining With Dignity – A Guide To Social Eating” was the focus of discussion during the next class, which included sub-topics on eating triggers and coping skills, menu selection when dining out, and eating healthy at buffets and potlucks. Educational concepts learned were further reinforced by an activity utilizing local restaurant menus and selecting healthy meals. The curriculum ended with a lesson on the importance of cardiovascular health for diabetics, called “A Happy Heart”. Participants learned more about the American Heart Association’s dietary guidelines for heart health as well as facts about fats and how to get started with an exercise program in order to lower blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1c levels for optimum health.
Although the curriculum was designed for those that had previously taken Kitchen Creations Part I, two of the participants had yet to attend. Nonetheless, they still acquired a basic understanding of identifying and counting carbohydrates, concerns about amounts and types of fat in their diet and planning meals at home or when dining out. The three participants that had attended the first series of classes felt this curriculum was a great “refresher” course which allowed them to “get back on track” in managing their diabetes. Participants also reported that they especially liked the meal planning exercise and the restaurant menu activity.
In order to address the requests of Kitchen Creations Diabetic Cooking School participants to conduct further diabetes classes, the home economist scheduled a series of three classes in May and June as part of the Kitchen Creations Part II – Pilot Curriculum written by an NMSU graduate student. Five diabetics from Raton and Springer participated in the class held at the High Plains REC building in Raton.
The first class served as a review of the 50/50 method and other basic concepts learned in Kitchen Creations Part I along with additional information on managing complications from diabetes and creating meal plans. “Dining With Dignity – A Guide To Social Eating” was the focus of discussion during the next class, which included sub-topics on eating triggers and coping skills, menu selection when dining out, and eating healthy at buffets and potlucks. Educational concepts learned were further reinforced by an activity utilizing local restaurant menus and selecting healthy meals. The curriculum ended with a lesson on the importance of cardiovascular health for diabetics, called “A Happy Heart”. Participants learned more about the American Heart Association’s dietary guidelines for heart health as well as facts about fats and how to get started with an exercise program in order to lower blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1c levels for optimum health.
Although the curriculum was designed for those that had previously taken Kitchen Creations Part I, two of the participants had yet to attend. Nonetheless, they still acquired a basic understanding of identifying and counting carbohydrates, concerns about amounts and types of fat in their diet and planning meals at home or when dining out. The three participants that had attended the first series of classes felt this curriculum was a great “refresher” course which allowed them to “get back on track” in managing their diabetes. Participants also reported that they especially liked the meal planning exercise and the restaurant menu activity.
Kitchen Creations Diabetic Cooking School
This year’s Kitchen Creations Diabetic Cooking School was held at the Raton High School Family and Consumer Science classroom in October of 2010 to meet the meal planning and diabetes management needs of a portion of the 1000 plus diagnosed diabetics and their families. The four-part, hands-on cooking school conducted in Colfax County and throughout the state continues to be funded by the New Mexico Department of Health - Diabetes Prevention and Control Unit in partnership with the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, thereby making it possible to offer the classes free of charge to interested individuals. Fourteen participants gained skills in basic carbohydrate counting, reading nutrition facts labels, adjusting portion sizes, and planning and preparing meals that are lower in sodium, fat and carbohydrates. A certified diabetic educator (CDE) and registered nurse with Miner’s Colfax Medical Center in Raton co-taught each class with the home economist, while also assisting in setting up the kitchen areas, preparing refreshments, helping with the cooking portion of the classes, and cleaning after each class session.
County demographics for the classes show that 43% of participants were diagnosed diabetics, while 50% had known family members with the disease. Participants ranged in age from 30 to 65 with a 64% Hispanic to 36% non-hispanic ethnicity ratio. While 57% of the class participants were female, consistent male attendance as a spouse, friend or parent speaks to the significance of sharing the responsibilities of preparing meals and becoming more knowledgeable about diabetes which helps the entire family to promote a healthier lifestyle.
Participant evaluations showed that at the end of the class series the students were practicing the 50/50 plate method to control the amount of carbohydrates eaten at meals (54%); reading food labels (85%); using more herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of using salt and fat (54%); and watching portion sizes (54%). When asked what they liked most about the class, the participants said that “Actually preparing the recipes in class”, “Knowledge obtained about diabetes and how to control diabetes”, “Trying different types of food that I had never tasted and learned a lot about label reading”, and “The personal attention given by the teachers”. Many were also surprised to learn that the amount of added salt in foods was so high and that it is most important to focus on total carbohydrates, not grams of sugar, listed on a nutrition facts label. Lastly, a number of participants asked that additional diabetes related classes would be beneficial to them.
This year’s Kitchen Creations Diabetic Cooking School was held at the Raton High School Family and Consumer Science classroom in October of 2010 to meet the meal planning and diabetes management needs of a portion of the 1000 plus diagnosed diabetics and their families. The four-part, hands-on cooking school conducted in Colfax County and throughout the state continues to be funded by the New Mexico Department of Health - Diabetes Prevention and Control Unit in partnership with the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, thereby making it possible to offer the classes free of charge to interested individuals. Fourteen participants gained skills in basic carbohydrate counting, reading nutrition facts labels, adjusting portion sizes, and planning and preparing meals that are lower in sodium, fat and carbohydrates. A certified diabetic educator (CDE) and registered nurse with Miner’s Colfax Medical Center in Raton co-taught each class with the home economist, while also assisting in setting up the kitchen areas, preparing refreshments, helping with the cooking portion of the classes, and cleaning after each class session.
County demographics for the classes show that 43% of participants were diagnosed diabetics, while 50% had known family members with the disease. Participants ranged in age from 30 to 65 with a 64% Hispanic to 36% non-hispanic ethnicity ratio. While 57% of the class participants were female, consistent male attendance as a spouse, friend or parent speaks to the significance of sharing the responsibilities of preparing meals and becoming more knowledgeable about diabetes which helps the entire family to promote a healthier lifestyle.
Participant evaluations showed that at the end of the class series the students were practicing the 50/50 plate method to control the amount of carbohydrates eaten at meals (54%); reading food labels (85%); using more herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of using salt and fat (54%); and watching portion sizes (54%). When asked what they liked most about the class, the participants said that “Actually preparing the recipes in class”, “Knowledge obtained about diabetes and how to control diabetes”, “Trying different types of food that I had never tasted and learned a lot about label reading”, and “The personal attention given by the teachers”. Many were also surprised to learn that the amount of added salt in foods was so high and that it is most important to focus on total carbohydrates, not grams of sugar, listed on a nutrition facts label. Lastly, a number of participants asked that additional diabetes related classes would be beneficial to them.
Head Start Nutrition Programs
Raton Head Start – “Dad and Student Pizza Making Night”
For many years, the home economist has provided nutrition programming to Head Start parents and teachers from throughout the county during their evening parent meetings at their respective Head Start sites, however it is often difficult for working parents to attend. In 2008 and 2009, the Cimarron Head Start director and the home economist planned a cooking night to directly involve the students, parents and teachers in making a healthy meal together. Although the “Student and Parent Cooking Night” was successful in Cimarron, the director was unavailable to coordinate the program this year, therefore the Raton site director asked the home economist to conduct a similar program targeting fathers and their children. Fourteen fathers, 16 students and three teachers participated in the evening where groups made homemade pizzas with a whole wheat based crust and a variety of lean meat, vegetables, fruit and cheese as toppings of their choice. As the group enjoyed the meal, the home economist presented basic nutrition information related to the pizza and the nutrients found in the kid’s MyPyramid. The importance of healthy snack choices and eating habits were also discussed with the fathers since they are often shopping for groceries and preparing meals at home. The home economist received positive feedback from the students, parents and teachers with comments such as, “The pizza was great and easy to make”, “I liked being able to cook with my daughter so she knows that dad can help in the kitchen too”, “We definitely want to have the program again next year”.
Raton Head Start – “Cooking With Foods From the Garden”
In the spring of 2010, one of the Raton Head Start site directors approached the Extension Office about working with their youth to plant vegetables in the greenhouse they were acquiring through grant monies they had recently received. The home economist, 4-H agent and agricultural agent teamed together to plan activities for the youth by utilizing curriculum from the Ag in the Classroom coordinator in Las Cruces. The 4-H and agricultural agents conducted seed planting activities with the youth, planting such vegetables as beans, tomatoes, onions, squash and jalapenos. At a later date, the home economist coordinated cooking activities with the 80 youth and 12 teachers/directors to make foods that would include the vegetables the students would see being produced from their greenhouse seedlings sometime in the summer. The four classes each chose a different food to make so that they could enjoy an entire meal together at lunch time. The home economist provided the ingredients, equipment and recipes for salsa, calabacitas, chef salad and bean and cheese burritos as each class rotated into the room to assist in making their chosen dish. The students and staff then went through a buffet line to sample the meal. The recipes and other nutritional information were sent home with the students to share with their families. The teachers and directors reported that they were glad students could experience first-hand the connection between foods being grown and eventually eaten. They were also very receptive to conducting the program again next year, however we learned that it would be best to begin the cooking activities at 8: 30 am to give more prep and clean up time between classes.
Springer Head Start - “Healthy Eating Habits”
In December of 2009, the Springer Head Start site director requested a nutrition presentation from the home economist for their parents attending their monthly parent meeting. Seventeen parents and teachers were in attendance for the evening presentations that focused on the 2-5 year old Kid’s MyPyramid; healthy eating habits, including picky eating behaviors; and ways parents and children can incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives. Parents also requested basic information on shopping and budgeting for family meals to cut costs while still providing nutritious meals for their families. Informational packets were given to those in attendance with 10 additional packets given to the teachers for the parents that were not able to attend the program. The program has resulted in an increased awareness of basic nutrition concepts by the parents and teaching staff, thereby benefiting the children involved.
Raton Head Start – “Dad and Student Pizza Making Night”
For many years, the home economist has provided nutrition programming to Head Start parents and teachers from throughout the county during their evening parent meetings at their respective Head Start sites, however it is often difficult for working parents to attend. In 2008 and 2009, the Cimarron Head Start director and the home economist planned a cooking night to directly involve the students, parents and teachers in making a healthy meal together. Although the “Student and Parent Cooking Night” was successful in Cimarron, the director was unavailable to coordinate the program this year, therefore the Raton site director asked the home economist to conduct a similar program targeting fathers and their children. Fourteen fathers, 16 students and three teachers participated in the evening where groups made homemade pizzas with a whole wheat based crust and a variety of lean meat, vegetables, fruit and cheese as toppings of their choice. As the group enjoyed the meal, the home economist presented basic nutrition information related to the pizza and the nutrients found in the kid’s MyPyramid. The importance of healthy snack choices and eating habits were also discussed with the fathers since they are often shopping for groceries and preparing meals at home. The home economist received positive feedback from the students, parents and teachers with comments such as, “The pizza was great and easy to make”, “I liked being able to cook with my daughter so she knows that dad can help in the kitchen too”, “We definitely want to have the program again next year”.
Raton Head Start – “Cooking With Foods From the Garden”
In the spring of 2010, one of the Raton Head Start site directors approached the Extension Office about working with their youth to plant vegetables in the greenhouse they were acquiring through grant monies they had recently received. The home economist, 4-H agent and agricultural agent teamed together to plan activities for the youth by utilizing curriculum from the Ag in the Classroom coordinator in Las Cruces. The 4-H and agricultural agents conducted seed planting activities with the youth, planting such vegetables as beans, tomatoes, onions, squash and jalapenos. At a later date, the home economist coordinated cooking activities with the 80 youth and 12 teachers/directors to make foods that would include the vegetables the students would see being produced from their greenhouse seedlings sometime in the summer. The four classes each chose a different food to make so that they could enjoy an entire meal together at lunch time. The home economist provided the ingredients, equipment and recipes for salsa, calabacitas, chef salad and bean and cheese burritos as each class rotated into the room to assist in making their chosen dish. The students and staff then went through a buffet line to sample the meal. The recipes and other nutritional information were sent home with the students to share with their families. The teachers and directors reported that they were glad students could experience first-hand the connection between foods being grown and eventually eaten. They were also very receptive to conducting the program again next year, however we learned that it would be best to begin the cooking activities at 8: 30 am to give more prep and clean up time between classes.
Springer Head Start - “Healthy Eating Habits”
In December of 2009, the Springer Head Start site director requested a nutrition presentation from the home economist for their parents attending their monthly parent meeting. Seventeen parents and teachers were in attendance for the evening presentations that focused on the 2-5 year old Kid’s MyPyramid; healthy eating habits, including picky eating behaviors; and ways parents and children can incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives. Parents also requested basic information on shopping and budgeting for family meals to cut costs while still providing nutritious meals for their families. Informational packets were given to those in attendance with 10 additional packets given to the teachers for the parents that were not able to attend the program. The program has resulted in an increased awareness of basic nutrition concepts by the parents and teaching staff, thereby benefiting the children involved.
Kitchen Creations
A total of 785 individuals (White 41%, Hispanic 39%, Native American 17%, African American 1%, Asian American 1%, Other 1%) participated in 45 Kitchen Creations cooking schools in 26 counties during 2009. Classes were team taught by local Extension Home Economists and a health care professional. Four bilingual cooking schools were held during FY09, one in Bernalillo, Dona Ana, Lea, and Luna Counties.
Kitchen Creations cooking schools consist of four, three-hour long lessons. The cooking schools feature current nutrition recommendations for people with diabetes and hands-on food preparation and cooking experiences. Participants completed demographics and knowledge questionnaire and program evaluations at the completion of the cooking school.
Funding for Kitchen Creations is provided in part through a grant from the New Mexico Department of Health ($197,000).
ICAN
Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition Program (ICAN) is the umbrella name used in New Mexico to refer to both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP ED) and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) programs. The primary goal of the ICAN program is to provide individuals with limited resources educational programs that increase the likelihood of all participants making healthy food choices consistent with the most recent dietary advice as reflected in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid.
During FY09 SNAP ED reached 24,964 adults (White 25.1%, African American 2.1%, Native American 14.4%, Asian 0.9%, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.3%, Hispanic 57.2%) and 37,461 youth (White 16.1%, African American 2.3%, Native American 12.3%, Asian 0.3%, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1%, Hispanic 58.9%) in 474 sites in New Mexico, including the Zuni Reservation with the following results:
The Adult Behavior Survey is administered in a pre/post format. During FY09 participants indicated a positive change in behaviors on each of the 16 questions.
• 30% increase in comparing prices at the grocery store
• 130% increase in using nutrition labels when deciding what foods to buy
• 66% increase in purchasing healthy items at the grocery store
• 55% increase in preparing healthy meals at home each day
• 71% increase in involving their child in meal preparation each day
• 19% increase in sitting down for family meals
• 48% increase in eating breakfast daily
• 92% increase in eating fruits and vegetables for snacks each day
• 30% increase in drinking water
• 60% increase in performing 30 minutes of physical activity each day
• 44% increase in watching less than 2 hours of television each day
• 122% increase in paying attention to portion size
• 100% increase in eating at least 3 ounces of whole grains each day
• 105% increase in eating at least 4 cups of fruits and vegetable each day
• 80% increase in drinking at least 3 cups from the dairy group each day
• 56% increase in drinking less than one cup of sugary beverages each day
Every item on the adult behavior survey showed substantial change from pre to post. The lowest amount of change was 19%, and the highest was 130%. Some of the items which showed the least change are those that are least emphasized by many of our educators, such as involving children in meal preparation and watching less television. In general, items related directly to nutrition scored highest, except for comparing prices.
Youth Evaluation Results
The Youth Behavior Survey is administered in a pre/post format. During FY09 youth participants indicated a positive change in 11 of the 12 behavior questions. The 12th question remained unchanged.
• 6% increase in eating breakfast each day
• 8% increase in drinking water when thirsty
• 2% increase in performing 30 minutes of physical activity each day
• 9% increase in eating fruits or vegetables for snacks each day
• 0% change in watching less than 2 hours of television each day
• 13% increase in paying attention to portion size
• 23% increase in knowledge about how much to eat from each group of MyPyramid
• 20% increase in knowledge about the importance of calcium
• 100% increase in knowledge about how to properly wash hands
• 133% increase in knowledge about how physical activity improves health
• 21% increase in knowledge about identifying dark green vegetables
• 49% increase in knowledge about calories
Every item on the youth behavior survey showed change from pre to post. The knowledge questions all had higher rates of change than the behavior questions. Among the behavior questions, change was greater on the four nutrition questions than on the two questions related to physical activity. The knowledge questions all show substantial spread.
During FY09 EFNEP reached 929 adults and 2,053 youth in Bernalillo and Dona Ana counties. Fifteen educators provided 16,872 hours of education to graduate 801 adults (White 9%, African American 1%, Native American 3%, Hispanic 86%) and 2,053 youth (White 14%, African American 6%, Native American 3%, Hispanic 75%).
Two evaluation tools are used with the adult EFNEP population – a 24-hour food recall and a 10-question Behavior Change questionnaire. The following results were reported using the 24-hour food recall:
• 11.1% increase in intake of grains
• 33.3% increase in intake of fruits
• 18.2% increase in intake of vegetables
• 30.8% increase in intake of milk
• 12.1% increase in intake of meats & beans
A summary of the nutrient adequacy ratio or protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A, C, and B6 show an increase of 16.7%.
The 10-question Behavior Change Questionnaire shows the following results:
• 47% improved in the area of planning meals
• 41% improved in the area of comparing prices
• 41% improved in having food o the month
• 47% improved in using a grocery list
• 40% improved in following recommended guidelines for letting foods sit out
• 57% improved in thawing foods properly
• 41% improved in providing health food choices for their families
• 41% improved in preparing foods without adding salt
• 55% improved in using the Nutrition Facts label to make food choices
• 41% improved in providing breakfast for their children
Funding for SNAP ED is provided from USDA/FNS through New Mexico Human Services Department, Income Support division for $2,022,785. An equal dollar amount of math comes from New Mexico State University.
Funding for EFNEP is provided through a grant from USDA/CSREES for $589,841.
Funding for these programs is also provided through the New Mexico Legislature for $200,000.
General Nutrition
In addition to the funded series of nutrition education classes, home economist around the state conducted a variety of programs to meet the needs of the individuals in their counties. Classes included both one-time programs and mini-series classes that were taught in schools, senior centers, activity centers, and churches. Topics included: snacks, gifts, nutrition and health, food safety, grilling, feeding your newborn, feeding your young child, and food preservation.
Food preservation and food safety remain the most consistently taught courses in the state. The need for families to have safe food at affordable cost will continue to be a priority for teaching and training in the coming year.
Funding for some of these programs is provided by two grants through the New Mexico Department of Health ($50,000)
A total of 785 individuals (White 41%, Hispanic 39%, Native American 17%, African American 1%, Asian American 1%, Other 1%) participated in 45 Kitchen Creations cooking schools in 26 counties during 2009. Classes were team taught by local Extension Home Economists and a health care professional. Four bilingual cooking schools were held during FY09, one in Bernalillo, Dona Ana, Lea, and Luna Counties.
Kitchen Creations cooking schools consist of four, three-hour long lessons. The cooking schools feature current nutrition recommendations for people with diabetes and hands-on food preparation and cooking experiences. Participants completed demographics and knowledge questionnaire and program evaluations at the completion of the cooking school.
Funding for Kitchen Creations is provided in part through a grant from the New Mexico Department of Health ($197,000).
ICAN
Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition Program (ICAN) is the umbrella name used in New Mexico to refer to both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP ED) and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) programs. The primary goal of the ICAN program is to provide individuals with limited resources educational programs that increase the likelihood of all participants making healthy food choices consistent with the most recent dietary advice as reflected in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid.
During FY09 SNAP ED reached 24,964 adults (White 25.1%, African American 2.1%, Native American 14.4%, Asian 0.9%, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.3%, Hispanic 57.2%) and 37,461 youth (White 16.1%, African American 2.3%, Native American 12.3%, Asian 0.3%, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1%, Hispanic 58.9%) in 474 sites in New Mexico, including the Zuni Reservation with the following results:
The Adult Behavior Survey is administered in a pre/post format. During FY09 participants indicated a positive change in behaviors on each of the 16 questions.
• 30% increase in comparing prices at the grocery store
• 130% increase in using nutrition labels when deciding what foods to buy
• 66% increase in purchasing healthy items at the grocery store
• 55% increase in preparing healthy meals at home each day
• 71% increase in involving their child in meal preparation each day
• 19% increase in sitting down for family meals
• 48% increase in eating breakfast daily
• 92% increase in eating fruits and vegetables for snacks each day
• 30% increase in drinking water
• 60% increase in performing 30 minutes of physical activity each day
• 44% increase in watching less than 2 hours of television each day
• 122% increase in paying attention to portion size
• 100% increase in eating at least 3 ounces of whole grains each day
• 105% increase in eating at least 4 cups of fruits and vegetable each day
• 80% increase in drinking at least 3 cups from the dairy group each day
• 56% increase in drinking less than one cup of sugary beverages each day
Every item on the adult behavior survey showed substantial change from pre to post. The lowest amount of change was 19%, and the highest was 130%. Some of the items which showed the least change are those that are least emphasized by many of our educators, such as involving children in meal preparation and watching less television. In general, items related directly to nutrition scored highest, except for comparing prices.
Youth Evaluation Results
The Youth Behavior Survey is administered in a pre/post format. During FY09 youth participants indicated a positive change in 11 of the 12 behavior questions. The 12th question remained unchanged.
• 6% increase in eating breakfast each day
• 8% increase in drinking water when thirsty
• 2% increase in performing 30 minutes of physical activity each day
• 9% increase in eating fruits or vegetables for snacks each day
• 0% change in watching less than 2 hours of television each day
• 13% increase in paying attention to portion size
• 23% increase in knowledge about how much to eat from each group of MyPyramid
• 20% increase in knowledge about the importance of calcium
• 100% increase in knowledge about how to properly wash hands
• 133% increase in knowledge about how physical activity improves health
• 21% increase in knowledge about identifying dark green vegetables
• 49% increase in knowledge about calories
Every item on the youth behavior survey showed change from pre to post. The knowledge questions all had higher rates of change than the behavior questions. Among the behavior questions, change was greater on the four nutrition questions than on the two questions related to physical activity. The knowledge questions all show substantial spread.
During FY09 EFNEP reached 929 adults and 2,053 youth in Bernalillo and Dona Ana counties. Fifteen educators provided 16,872 hours of education to graduate 801 adults (White 9%, African American 1%, Native American 3%, Hispanic 86%) and 2,053 youth (White 14%, African American 6%, Native American 3%, Hispanic 75%).
Two evaluation tools are used with the adult EFNEP population – a 24-hour food recall and a 10-question Behavior Change questionnaire. The following results were reported using the 24-hour food recall:
• 11.1% increase in intake of grains
• 33.3% increase in intake of fruits
• 18.2% increase in intake of vegetables
• 30.8% increase in intake of milk
• 12.1% increase in intake of meats & beans
A summary of the nutrient adequacy ratio or protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A, C, and B6 show an increase of 16.7%.
The 10-question Behavior Change Questionnaire shows the following results:
• 47% improved in the area of planning meals
• 41% improved in the area of comparing prices
• 41% improved in having food o the month
• 47% improved in using a grocery list
• 40% improved in following recommended guidelines for letting foods sit out
• 57% improved in thawing foods properly
• 41% improved in providing health food choices for their families
• 41% improved in preparing foods without adding salt
• 55% improved in using the Nutrition Facts label to make food choices
• 41% improved in providing breakfast for their children
Funding for SNAP ED is provided from USDA/FNS through New Mexico Human Services Department, Income Support division for $2,022,785. An equal dollar amount of math comes from New Mexico State University.
Funding for EFNEP is provided through a grant from USDA/CSREES for $589,841.
Funding for these programs is also provided through the New Mexico Legislature for $200,000.
General Nutrition
In addition to the funded series of nutrition education classes, home economist around the state conducted a variety of programs to meet the needs of the individuals in their counties. Classes included both one-time programs and mini-series classes that were taught in schools, senior centers, activity centers, and churches. Topics included: snacks, gifts, nutrition and health, food safety, grilling, feeding your newborn, feeding your young child, and food preservation.
Food preservation and food safety remain the most consistently taught courses in the state. The need for families to have safe food at affordable cost will continue to be a priority for teaching and training in the coming year.
Funding for some of these programs is provided by two grants through the New Mexico Department of Health ($50,000)