Life Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of After-School Nutrition Workshops In A Public Library Setting, Marjorie Freedman, Audrey Nickell

Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine if after-school nutrition workshops conducted in public libraries were related to lasting changes in food choice.Methods: “Snack Smart” workshops, based on Social Cognitive Theory, were conducted in 8 branch libraries (49 ethnically diverse children, ages 9 to 14) to assess changes in consumption of targeted food items by pretest, posttest, and follow-up food frequency questionnaires. Results were analyzed using the Friedman test for repeated measures and Wilcoxon signed rank test.Results: Intake of milk, vegetables, and water significantly increased at 3-week posttest (P < .05), but only water intake showed a significant change from pretest to follow-up 3 months later.Conclusions and Implications: This low-intensity program did not produce lasting behavior change, as measured by changes in food frequency at 3 months post- intervention. The study supports the need to critically evaluate out-of-school nutrition programs for lasting impact.

Association Of Body Mass Index, Fruit And Vegetable Intake, And Acculturation In A Sample Las Vegas Hispanic Population, Anne L. Bolstad

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The U.S. is experiencing a rising prevalence of overweightedness that has been identified as the second leading cause for chronic health conditions threatening public health. Overweightedness has grown disproportionately among ethnic sub-groups. In the fastest going minority population in the U.S., Hispanic Americans are observed with disparately high body mass index, placing them at heightened risk for poor health outcomes. Research suggests five servings of fruit and vegetables, in any combination, provides a sound nutritional base for healthful living and helps to maintain normal body weight.

Americans are known to have poor eating habits while foreign-born populations have well balanced …