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KA 703. Nutrition Education and Behavior (McKinley County)

Plan Goal

Coordinate and deliver educational workshops for Eastern Navajo Agency/McKinley county residents throughout the year. The workshops will provide continuing education and an increase in knowledge level for participants in Nutrition, Diabetes education, and

Situation Statement

In 2006, McKinley County has a population of 71,875 in a land area of 5,449 sq. miles. 41% live in urban areas and 59% live in rural areas. 74.5% are Native American, 11.9%. Children under the age of 18 account for 34% of the population. As of 2002, McKinley County ranked 10 out of 33 counties in birth rates to teen mothers. School data for the county includes the following: 8.1% drop out rate 2001-2002 school year; and, in the 2001 Census, ranked 32 out of 33 % of high school graduates; and ranked 25 out of 33 in % of college graduates. In the same census, 48% of students in the Gallup-McKinley School District were living in poverty. Despite the richness of the diverse cultures in the county, there is a high rate of alcoholism and domestic abuse. The county ranked 14 in violent deaths ages 15-19 (2001-02); McKinley County ranked 32 of 33 counties in per capita income ($13,896) in 2001

Key tools for use in nutrition education by the Extension Home Economist include USDA's My Pyramid, Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005) the Nutrition Facts Label and The Kitchen Creations participant manual and related educational materials.

Target Audience and Actions

Target audience for nutrition education, diabetes education, and Navajo Traditional cooking and arts and craft will be Eastern Navajo Crownpoint Agency residents, including adults, youth, and public and private business. The focus will be Eastern Navajo Agency/McKinley County which includes Native Americans and other ethnic residents.

Eastern Navajo Crownpoint Agency Home Economist Extension Home Economist will coordinate, plan, and implement the following: Reach the following programs in Eastern Navajo Crownpoint Agency:
• Three (3) Adult base programs
• Two (2) public schools
• Three (3) Navajo Nation Head Start schools
• Three (3) Navajo Nation Departments/Programs

NUTRITION - Provide cooking classes for people with diabetes and their families in Eastern Navajo Crownpoint Agency to ensure cooking schools are available to varied ethnic groups and geographical areas. Focus: Provide hands on education for both adult and youth to comprehend and change to eating healthy by using the USDA Food Pyramid. Focus is on healthy food choices, food preparation skills, reading food labels and physical activity.
• A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 Kitchen Creation Diabetes Cooking Schools series classes will be taught each year to residents of Eastern Navajo Crownpoint Agency. The focus is on healthy food choices including balancing low and high carbohydrate foods and food preparations skills.
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TRADTIONAL COOKING- Utilize the USDA food pyramid with traditional cooking recipe to reach and teach communities of traditional food preparation. Focus: Educate participants the type of ingredients that are used from the USDA food pyramid chart in following Navajo traditional dish.
• Blue mush
• Blue pancake
• Blue marble – (winter only)
• Roasted corn/pinon (in season)
• Summer squash salad
TRADTIONAL ACTIVITY – Provide hands on workshop on the following traditional crafts. The traditional crafts will be a self sustaining activity for economic development. Bring in one winter activity in a year. Focus: Reintroduce Navajo traditional arts and crafts to target audience.
• Cinch weaving
• Wool felting
• Winter traditional program

Short-Term Objectives

20% of participants will increase knowledge of nutrition facts labels, healthy food choices, food preparation and the importance of physical activity.
20% of participants will increase knowledge in Navajo traditional cooking preparation and nutrition facts utlizing the USDA food pyramid.
20% of participant will increase knowledge and skills in Navajo arts and craft.

Medium-Term Objectives

20% of participants will learn to read nutrition labels
20% of participants will learn portion size meals
10% of participants will learn the importance of physical activity
20% of participants will learn how prepare two Navajo recipes
10% of participants will learn how to construct a cinch wrapping
10% of participants will learn how to prepare wool for wool felting

Long-Term Objectives

10% of participants will decrease their rates of chronic disease (diabetes and hypertension)
20 % of participants will learn ingredients in Navajo traditional cooking using the USDA food pyramid
20% of participants will learn how to weave (cinch/rug)
20% of participants will learn how to weave non-text weaving (wool felting)

Evaluation Plan

Administer pre and post survey. Evaluations will be administer through surveys conducted after each program and major events indicating the participant’s knowledge in 1) Nutrition 2) Traditional Cooking and 3) Navajo Traditional Arts and Craft. Surveys are designed to measure effectiveness and improvement of each program.