Capacity for Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Among Faith-based Emergency Food Providers

S156 Poster Abstracts Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior  Volume 46, Number 4S, 2014 P123 A Three-Year Develop-Pilot-Revise Process Produces Effective and Enjoyable Behavior-based Nutrition Lessons (Grades 6-12) Marcia K. Scott, PhD, RD, mscott@michiganfitness.org, Michigan Fitness Foundation, 1213 Center Street, Lansing, MI 48906; A. Murphy, PhD, RD, Nutrition Education Evaluation Services; S. R. Cullen, MS, RD, Michigan Fitness Foundation Objective: Identify behavior change and best practices resulting from short, behavior-based healthy eating lessons in low-income middle and high schools. Target Audience: Low-income Michigan middle and high school students. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: Research indicates that behavior-based lessons are more effective than knowledge-based lessons to improve eating behaviors. These lessons were developed to fill the gap for effective nutrition education materials that are well received by teachers in the middle school and high school setting. Description: Ten lessons were developed, piloted and revised over a three-year period. Students in 55 classrooms at 14 schools participated in an intervention that used one-page lesson guides, healthy food tastings and posters to engage students in examining current food choices, identifying ways to improve, and practicing behaviors. Evaluation: A comprehensive evaluation involved students (n¼488, grades 5-12), teachers and nutrition educators to determine if positive behavior change resulted. Findings revealed that change in behaviors improved sequentially throughout the year; there was greater behavior change for students that participated for two years; intake of soda decreased; students eating no fruit or vegetables decreased and the number eating them at least once per day increased. High school students started and ended with higher scores but middle school students experienced greater change, and classes without the food tastings had the least behavior change. Conclusions and Implications: Following a three-year development, piloting and revising process, a set of short, behavior-based lessons about healthy eating were produced for use in low-income middle and high schools. The positive results establish an evidence base for these Linking Lessons as an effective nutrition education intervention. Funding: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Additional Funding: Michigan Fitness Foundation P124 Grocer-added SNAP-Ed Social Marketing Campaign to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Purchase and Consumption Marcia Scott, PhD, RD, mscott@michiganfitness.org, Michigan Fitness Foundation, 1213 Center Street, Lansing, MI, 48906; J. Rahrig, RD; S. R. Cullen, MS, RD; P. McConaughy, MA; B. MkNelly, MS, Public Health Institute; S. Sugerman, MS, RD, FADA; K. Khaira, MS Objective: To assess the impact of a grocery based retail point of access intervention on a statewide social marketing campaign on fruit and vegetable sales and consumption, as well as to inform the future programming. Target Audience: The intended audience was families from local elementary schools receiving the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and nutrition education. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: Adding grocers enhances the implementation of the Social-Ecological Model on multiple levels: direct intervention in the classroom, interpersonal intervention with send home materials, organizational intervention through SNAP-Ed Partners and through the grocer, and finally community through billboards. Description: Nine grocers in high-need areas located near SNAP-Ed schools and billboards containing an USDA Core Nutrition Message implemented the retail point of access program. The program included in-store promotional activities, and banners featuring the same message and image as seen on the local billboards. Direct nutrition education occurred monthly in the form of a face-to-face food demonstration. Targeted messages on recipe cards and activity sheets were provided along with the food samples. Evaluation: The evaluation findings show that 27% of shoppers surveyed (n¼628) bought vegetables that they had not intended to purchase due to the intervention. Fifty- percent of shoppers surveyed remembered the food demonstration. The store directors/managers agreed that their customers had responded positively to the in person promotional activities as well as the nutrition education. Conclusions and Implications: Incorporating local, hands on, nutrition education using the USDA Core Nutrition Messages is an effective method to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in communities incorporated as part of social ecologic process. Funding: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Additional Funding: Michigan Fitness Foundation P125 Capacity for Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Among Faith-based Emergency Food Providers Marcia Scott, PhD, RD, mscott@michiganfitness.org, Michigan Fitness Foundation, 1213 Center Street, P.O. Box 27187, Lansing, MI, 48909; J. Fast, BA, Michigan Fitness Foundation; C. Jenkin, PhD, Barna Group Objective: Assess opportunities and barriers to gardenbased SNAP-Ed policy, systems, and environmental change interventions at food pantries. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: This formative evaluation is grounded in Social Ecological Model and Social Marketing theory. Seventy-two percent of food pantries nationwide are run by communities of faith, many of which report needing assistance with 1) local food procurement and 2) nutrition education. Garden-based systems and environmental change Continued on page S157 Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior  Volume 46, Number 4S, 2014 P125 (continued) and social marketing are demonstrated to address these needs while improving low-income families' fruit and vegetable consumption. However, the extent of pantries' interest in, or barriers to participation in these activities was unknown. Michigan Fitness Foundation and Barna Group distributed a 15-20 minute online survey to representatives of over 2,000 faith-based, emergency food, and/or gardening organizations statewide. This single observation case study collected quantitative and qualitative data for three weeks. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Data are being analyzed which reflect: produce donation, produce gardening, and produce distribution practices; client demographics; program reach and frequency of contact; program religious affiliation; social media and communications use, etc. Data segmentation and doer/non-doer analytics reflect respondent motivations for current practices. Results: Data provide a rich portrait of opportunities to promote 1) donation gardening, 2) fresh produce distribution, and 3) healthy eating messages at pantries. Conclusions and Implications: Findings inform future communications and program design to 1) improve local emergency food quality and availability; 2) increase use of healthy eating messages at pantries; and 3) improve pantry clients' fruit and vegetable consumption. Funding: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Additional Funding: USDA, State of Michigan, Michigan Fitness Foundation P126 Policy, System, and Environmental Approaches in the High School Setting Affect Student Eating Outcomes Amanda Linares, MS, Amanda.Linares@cdph.ca.gov, Public Health Institute, California Department of Public Health, 1616 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95814; M. Biehl, PhD; C. Rider, MA; S. Sugerman, MS, RD, FADA Objective: To explore associations between policy, system, and environmental (PSE) approaches and changes in eating behaviors among low-income high school students in California. To test a newly-developed scale to measure PSEs in high school settings. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: In 2012-2013, five school districts implemented PSE approaches, which varied by type and number by school site. Concurrently, participating schools implemented a standardized nutrition education intervention. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Using a pre-post design, districts collected food consumption outcome data from students (n¼1,505) using a standardized questionnaire. Investigators used ANOVAs to analyze a 21item instrument identifying the frequency of specific PSEs in each district in conjunction with its pre-post data. The PSE scale was adapted from various sources including CDC's School Health Profiles, a system of sur- Poster Abstracts S157 veys assessing school health policies and practices. Examples of PSE approaches were the availability of healthy foods offered at lower price points, partnerships with nearby stores, self-serve salad bars, and healthy food celebrations. Results: The five districts reported having 9, 12, 13, 14, and 16 of the 21 possible PSE approaches. Group comparisons by ANOVA revealed that the district implementing 16 PSE approaches compared with 14 or fewer showed better self-reported behavioral outcomes for dairy, cereal, water, fruit, vegetable, and 100% juice consumption (all p<0.001). Conclusions and Implications: Results suggest that a threshold effect rather than a linear relationship exists when implementing multiple PSEs aimed at low-income high school students. These findings support the importance of utilizing PSE approaches in a setting that serves a population with more autonomy to make their own food-related decisions than younger children. Funding: USDA P127 A Comparative Analysis of Obesity Risk Reduction Behaviors Among Chinese Americans Doreen Liou, EdD, RD, lioud@mail.montclair.edu, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Montclair, NJ 07043; K. D. Bauer, PhD, RD; Y. Bai, PhD, RD Objective: To examine the psychosocial predictors in Chinese Americans according to high and low frequency performers of obesity risk reduction behaviors. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: A questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behavior was administered to a convenience sample of 300 U.S.-born and foreign-born Chinese Americans, aged 18 to 40 years, in the New York metropolitan area. Male and female participants were recruited from universities, religious organizations, and cultural institutions, representing a wide range of educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Nineteen behaviors related to obesity risk reduction were measured along with psychosocial constructs derived from theoretical frameworks. Participants indicated their adoption of behaviors over the previous month reflecting food practices, portion size control, consumption of healthful foods, and engagement in physical activity. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted for the entire sample and for high and low frequency performers. Results: High frequency performers of obesity risk reduction behaviors were predominantly affected by self-efficacy, contributing to 28.5% of the variance of behavior. Low frequency performers were largely influenced by subjective norm, self-efficacy, attitude, and intention, accounting for 13.7% of the variance of behavior. Continued on page S158