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.

KA 703. Nutrition Education and Behavior (Doña Ana County)

Plan Goal

Improve the health of Dona Ana County residents through healthy food choices, food preparation skills and food resource management.

Situation Statement

Doña Ana County is located in south-central New Mexico and borders El Paso County, Texas to the east and southeast. The county also shares its southern border with the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Based on the 2010 U.S. Census, Dona Ana County has a population of 209,233 persons. Doña Ana County ranks as the state’s second most populated county and is the sixteenth largest county in land area. Demographics by ethnicity are 3o.1% white, non-Hispanic; 65.7% Hispanic or Latino; 1.7% black; 1.5 % Native American; and 1.1% Asian.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, 51,890 people or 24.8% of the population in Doña Ana County live below poverty. Doña Ana County has over 37 colonias. “Colonia” is the term used for an infrastructure-deficient neighborhood inhabited mainly by Spanish speakers. The communities lack some or all of the following: water and sewer systems, gas lines, paved roads and safe housing.

In May of 2010, the N. M. Human Services Department, Income Support Division, reported 3,401 or 1.6% of Doña Ana County residents were receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and 18,343 (8.8%) of residents were receiving food stamps. In 2005 Doña Ana County Women Infant and Children (WIC) Program had 18,833 unduplicated users.

Five of the leading causes of death in Doña Ana County include heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and hypertension that have links to diet. Limited income residents face numerous problems associated with inadequate nutrition. In some cases, children do not eat enough to sustain health to grow and develop at optimal levels. Often limited resource individuals make poor food choices, which can lead to chronic disease problems such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Although benefits such as Food Stamps and WIC provide vital resources, recipients’ lack of knowledge of the relationships between health and four areas: basic nutrition, food safety, food preparation, and food resource management. In addition, many limited resource individuals do not receive the encouragement and reinforcement needed to put such knowledge into practice. Education can help low income families and individuals maximize their resources to improve their nutritional status. Youth as well as adults should be targeted so nutrition related disease and obesity can be prevented. Reaching Doña Ana County youth early in life with effective nutrition education will promote the adoption of healthy eating and food management practices. Establishing healthy habits early in life can have life long benefits in optimal health and disease prevention. Further, children are an ideal target for nutrition education in terms of habits being more amenable to change than later in life.

Key tools for use in nutrition education by the Extension Home Economist include USDA’s MyPlate, Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010), MyPyramid and the Nutrition Facts Label.

Diabetes
Diabetes is a particular concern in Doña Ana County. In 2009, among Dona Ana County residents aged 18 and older, 9% had diagnosed diabetes. About one-third of people with diabetes do not know they have the condition (undiagnosed diabetes). Because New Mexico's population is growing, and the diabetes prevalence has slowly increased over the decade, even higher numbers of New Mexicans are estimated to have diabetes. If left untreated and
uncontrolled, diabetes can result in serious complications such as blindness, amputation, kidney disease, stroke, heart disease and death. Although there is no cure for diabetes, it can be controlled and complications can be prevented or delayed. Lifestyle changes such as healthier food choices and regular physical activity can have a significant effect on the health and well being of diabetics. Doña Ana County ICAN program can effectively reach those Doña Ana County residents with or at risk for diabetes.

Target Audience and Actions

Target Audience:
Doña Ana County limited resource audiences.
Doña Ana County agencies that work with limited resource audiences.
Native American, African American, Asian, Spanish speaking and Anglo residents of Doña Ana County
Policy makers.
Mass Media.

Actions:
ICAN adult and youth series classes with focus on healthy food choices, food preparation skills, food resource management, food safety and physical activity.
Kitchen Creations Diabetes Cooking school series classes for Spanish speaking residents of Doña Ana County.

Short-Term Objectives

80% of participants will increase knowledge of MyPyramid, Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition Facts Labels.
80% of participants will increase knowledge of healthy food choices.
80% of participants will increase knowledge of food preparation and meal planning.
80% of participants will increase knowledge of food resource management.
80% of participants will increase knowledge of the Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid and 50/50 method.

60% of participants will plan to use MyPyramid, Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition Facts Labels to make food choices and plan meals
60% of participants will plan to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
60% of participants will plan to control portion sizes.
60% of participants will plan to adopt new food preparation and meal planning techniques.
60% of participants will plan to use the Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid and 50/50 method.

Medium-Term Objectives

40% of participants will increase fruit and vegetable consumption one month after program participation.
40% of participants will control portion sizes one month after program participation.
40% of participants will adopt new food preparation and meal planning techniques one month after program participation.
40% of participants will adopt new food resource management techniques one month after program participation.
40% will use the Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid and 50/50 method.

Long-Term Objectives

30% of participants will sustain adopted practices 3 years after program completion.
30% of participants will decrease their rates of chronic disease such as obesity, cancer, and heart disease.

Evaluation Plan

ICAN and Kitchen Creations participant knowledge and behavior surveys for short and medium term objectives. Long-term objectives cannot be measured without additional funding.