A Community Participatory Approach to Improving Nutrition Outcomes

A continuous pattern of unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, lack of resources and knowledge lead to obesity and an increased susceptibility to acquiring chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart diseases. The phenomenon is a nationwide public health crisis, and it is no different in San Bernardino County (SBC), located in Southern California where these trends are visible and for some individuals unavoidable. San Bernardino communities have great access to fast food restaurants and little access to grocery stores. SBC also has high rates of crime making it difficult for individuals to exercise in a safe environment. The combination of these disparities make for an unhealthy community. To combat these disparities, Loma Linda University (LLU) global health students have partnered with Central City Lutheran Mission to help community members in their catchment area achieve better health outcomes. A needs and assets assessment using qualitative methods guided the creation of a four module train-the-trainer nutrition curriculum. The content includes instruction on how to read nutrition labels, alternative cooking styles, and healthy eating habits to prevent or live well with chronic diseases. By implementing the train-the trainer program, LLU students hope to decrease obesity trends in the SBC community. Pre and post tests will be used to evaluate change in trainer knowledge-base and skills set. Evaluation findings from the assessments will be presented which provides the evidence base for determining whether the training was effective in preventing and managing a healthy lifestyle.