TY - JOUR
T1 - Healthy Eating and Harambee
T2 - Curriculum development for a culturally-centered bio-medically oriented nutrition education program to reach African American women of childbearing age
AU - Kannan, Srimathi
AU - Sparks, Arlene V.
AU - DeWitt Webster, J.
AU - Krishnakumar, Ambika
AU - Lumeng, Julie
N1 - Funding Information:
The Healthy Eating Project was funded by Ruth Mott Community Foundation. We are indebted to Dr. Collins Airhihenbuwa (Pennsylvania State University Department of Biobehavioral Health, College of Health and Human Development) for his guidance related to the application of the PEN-3 theoretical model that was instrumental in the design, development, implementation and evaluation of the Healthy Eating and Harambee nutrition education curriculum. We also thank the grassroots community organizations in the Flint area for their support and participation in this research project.
PY - 2010/7
Y1 - 2010/7
N2 - The purpose was to develop, implement and evaluate a peer-led nutrition curriculum Healthy Eating and Harambee that addresses established objectives of maternal and infant health and to shift the stage for African American women of childbearing age in Genesee County toward healthier dietary patterns using a socio-cultural and biomedical orientation. The PEN-3 model, which frames culture in the context of health promotion interventions, was integrated with the Transtheoretical Model to guide this 13-week pre-test/post-test curriculum. Materials developed included soul food plate visuals, a micronutrient availability worksheet, a fruit stand, and gardening kits. Learning activities included affirmations, stories, casescenarios, point-of-purchase product recognition, church health teams, and community health fairs. We investigated health-promoting dietary behaviors (consumption of more fruits and vegetables (F&V), serving more F&V to their families, and moderating dietary sodium and fat intakes), and biomedical behaviors (self-monitoring blood pressure and exercising) across five stages of change. Session attendance and program satisfaction were assessed. N = 102 women participated (mean age = 27.5 years). A majority (77%) reported adopting at least one healthy eating behavior (moderating sodium, serving more F&V to their families), 23% adopted at least two such behaviors (reading food labels for sodium; using culinary herbs/spices; serving more F&V to their families), and 45% adopted both dietary (moderating sodium; eating more fruits) and biomedical behaviors. Participants and facilitators favorably evaluated the curriculum and suggested improvements. A multi-conceptual approach coupled with cultural and biomedical tailoring has potential to promote young African American women's movement to more advanced stages of change and improve self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable intake, dietary sodium moderation, and selfmonitoring blood pressure and physical activity.
AB - The purpose was to develop, implement and evaluate a peer-led nutrition curriculum Healthy Eating and Harambee that addresses established objectives of maternal and infant health and to shift the stage for African American women of childbearing age in Genesee County toward healthier dietary patterns using a socio-cultural and biomedical orientation. The PEN-3 model, which frames culture in the context of health promotion interventions, was integrated with the Transtheoretical Model to guide this 13-week pre-test/post-test curriculum. Materials developed included soul food plate visuals, a micronutrient availability worksheet, a fruit stand, and gardening kits. Learning activities included affirmations, stories, casescenarios, point-of-purchase product recognition, church health teams, and community health fairs. We investigated health-promoting dietary behaviors (consumption of more fruits and vegetables (F&V), serving more F&V to their families, and moderating dietary sodium and fat intakes), and biomedical behaviors (self-monitoring blood pressure and exercising) across five stages of change. Session attendance and program satisfaction were assessed. N = 102 women participated (mean age = 27.5 years). A majority (77%) reported adopting at least one healthy eating behavior (moderating sodium, serving more F&V to their families), 23% adopted at least two such behaviors (reading food labels for sodium; using culinary herbs/spices; serving more F&V to their families), and 45% adopted both dietary (moderating sodium; eating more fruits) and biomedical behaviors. Participants and facilitators favorably evaluated the curriculum and suggested improvements. A multi-conceptual approach coupled with cultural and biomedical tailoring has potential to promote young African American women's movement to more advanced stages of change and improve self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable intake, dietary sodium moderation, and selfmonitoring blood pressure and physical activity.
KW - African Americans Stages of change
KW - Nutrition curriculum
KW - Nutrition education materials
KW - PEN-3
KW - Women of childbearing age
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956265598&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77956265598&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10995-009-0507-9
DO - 10.1007/s10995-009-0507-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 19655237
AN - SCOPUS:77956265598
SN - 1092-7875
VL - 14
SP - 535
EP - 547
JO - Maternal and Child Health Journal
JF - Maternal and Child Health Journal
IS - 4
ER -