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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Denise Ann Benoit-Moctezuma, MPH¹, Mira Mehta, PhD¹, Dianne Miiller, MS², Cassandra Corridon, MS³, Rebecca Davis, MS³, and Kimberly Wise, MPH⁴. (1) Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, 3308 Marie Mount Hall, College Park, MD MD, 301-405-0751, dbenoitm@umd.edu, (2) Maryland Cooperative Extension, Montgomery County, University of Maryland, 18410 Muncaster Rd, Derwood, MD 20855, (3) Maryland Cooperative Extension, Frederick County, University of Maryland, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick, MD 21702, (4) School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, 2175 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037

Program Purpose: The University of Maryland's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) collaborated with the Prince George's County Public Schools: Before and After School Extended Learning Program (BASELP) to implement a pilot nutrition education program to help reduce and prevent overweight/obesity in youth.

The 7-3-3-1: Healthy Families Having Fun nutrition curriculum, developed by the University of Maryland, was adapted for implementation in after-school settings and was used to encourage children to consume more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat/non-fat milk, and increase physical activity.

Program Design/Methodology: The nutrition classes were implemented with children who participated in BASELP in Title I Elementary Schools in Prince George's County. A series of six lessons were conducted over a six-week period in each school. A parental education component was also developed to provide parents with knowledge about the nutrition topics being covered in the after-school lessons. Flyers were disseminated to parents on a weekly basis during each 6-week session.

Program Evaluation Results: The pilot nutrition education program has been implemented in a total of 11 schools and has reached approximately 400 youth. A Pre/Post-Assessment was used to measure the children's knowledge and behavior change. Approximately, 75% of the children showed an increase in knowledge in choosing healthful snacks/beverages and identifying the recommended servings of each group in MyPyramid. They also showed a slight increase in their consumption of fruits and vegetables and low-fat/non-fat milk, and an increase in participation in physical activity.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the nutrition curriculum and discuss the evaluation results of the pilot after-school nutrition education program.

Keywords: Nutrition, Children

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered