Vermont Department of Children and Families. Food Stamp Nutrition Education. Some Vermont food stamp recipients lack the knowledge and skills to make healthy, safe food choices. Gaining this knowledge can lead to improved diets. A total of 11,986 low-income Vermonters received nutrition, food safety, and/or gardening education through group classes (3,276), laptop computers in the home (60), and newsletters targeting families and the elderly (8,650). Participants improved food shopping behaviors, increased nutrition and food safety knowledge, developed gardening skills, and gained confidence in their ability to plan healthy and low-cost meals. (L. Berlin, M. Monagas, D. Mincher, S. Burczy, D. Lamb, S. Coblyn, S. Bodette, L. Stearns, B. Bessette, B. Waters, L. Brunelle, D. Steen, M. Baege, M. Ashman, K. Schneider, E. Rowe, R. Charlton, S. McNeill, J. Snedeker, R. Garritano, R. Severy, R. Goodman, I. Beede, L. Avery, C. Yandow, H. Danis, K. Parker)
UVM Extension. Making It Fit. Food Stamp recipients who have limited resources and lack nutrition knowledge find it challenging to select a healthy diet. This project provided indepth nutrition education and food preparation instruction to adults on tight budgets. Eight series of classes provided nutrition education to 83 adults across the age spectrum. Participants made positive changes related to vegetable and fruit intake, shopping behaviors, self-efficacy regarding meal planning, and nutrition knowledge. (L. Berlin, S. Burczy, D. Mincher, D. Lamb, D. Steen, L. Brunelle)
UVM Extension. Dietary Guidelines. Many Americans have diets that lead to high chronic disease risk. This project aims to improve people's food intake so that diets better match the recommendations in the 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 18 workshops were presented by UVM Extension specialists providing direct education to 378 adults and youths. Translating this knowledge into behaviors will lead to a healthier population. (L. Berlin, S. Burczy, D. Lamb, D. Steen, D. Mincher)
Vermont Department of Aging and Independent Living. Dining with Diabetes. More than 30,000 Vermonters are estimated to have diabetes. Improved diet and exercise habits can help to control diabetes and reduce complications such as blindness and kidney failure. 'Dining with Diabetes,' a three-part series of classes, teaches people how to control their blood sugar through diet. Five series of classes across the state reached 90 participants, resulting in improved skills at planning and preparing healthy and tasty meals. Better diets lead to fewer health problems and lower medical expenses. (L. Berlin, D. Lamb, D. Mincher, D. Steen, S. Burczy,)
USDA, UVM Extension. 4-H Growing Connections. Low-income youth are especially susceptible to poor nutrition. This project includes planning and planting a garden, developing nutrition and cooking skills, building food security and hunger awareness, and enhancing food safety and preservation skills. 193 volunteers at 34 locations statewide implemented a program serving 1,310 youths. Results indicate that the number of youth who liked each of the 24 types of produce listed on the pre and post surveys increased for all 24 items from the beginning to the end of the program. (L. Berlin, M. Monagas, M. Baege, S. Coblyn, R. Charlton, D. Steen, D. Mincher, D. Lamb, S. Burczy, L. Avery, R. Garritano, B. Bessette, J. Snedeker, R. Severy,)
USDA, UVM Extension. The Corn & Berry Newsletter. Families with limited resources often struggle to consume a diet that meets the recommendations in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For many families, time and money are both limiting factors. The Corn & Berry newsletter provides practical nutrition and food safety information in a simple, easy-to-read format. The newsletter was distributed to 2,150 individuals and families four times this year. Readers can use the information in the newsletter to choose nutritious food, save money, keep food safe, increase physical activity, and prepare meals and snacks. (L. Berlin, M. Ashman, D. Mincher, D. Steen, R. Goodman, C. Yandow, S. Burczy, D. Lamb)
USDA - FNS. Step into Health. Participation in physical activity can have numerous health benefits. Despite the many benefits, only one-third of Vermonters age 18+ participate in regular physical activity. This project aims to get low-income Vermonters walking for exercise. Thirty-three people participated in the Step into Health program. Results show increases in the number of days per week participants walked, and the average distance walked per day. In the long term, increased physical activity can have a positive impact on weight management, psychological well-being, and risk factors for a number of chronic diseases. (L. Berlin, H. Danis, B. Bessette, L. Stearns, B. Waters, L. Brunelle, D. Steen)
USDA, UVM Extension. Words to the Wise newsletter. Older Vermonters with limited resources often suffer from ill health, which may be made worse by poor nutrition and unsafe food handling practices. Words to the Wise helps low-income senior citizens to eat well, safely, and affordably. The newsletter was produced and distributed quarterly to 6,500 elderly Vermonters, most of whom participate in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Feedback from Agency on Aging staff indicated that Words to the Wise helped low-income seniors to eat better and stay healthier. Funding was matched by the Food Stamp Nutrition Education grant. (S. Burczy, D. Lamb, D. Steen, M. Ashman)
USDA-Special Grant, USDA, UVM Instructional Incentive Grant. Development of an interactive, online, college-level course in the fundamentals of nutrition. Computers offer alternative means for teaching and studying nutrition. This project is designed to develop an online, computerized textbook for a college-level introductory nutrition course. Development of a Web-based nutrition course and textbook was continued with text, graphics, and animation being incorporated to offer an interesting, attractive, and effective alternative to teaching and studying the fundamentals of nutrition. It is being used and tested with students for the first time this year with good results. This program allows students to take a 3-credit, introductory, college-level nutrition course via any computer in the world connected to the Internet. (L. Carew, D. Paradis, V. Chamberlain, D. Elvin)
UVM Extension, Vermont Community Foundation, State 4-H Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency. Youth Horticulture Project. Truancy, inactivity, and a lack of meaningful work have been identified as problems for young people in Vermont. Youth obesity is a national problem. This project helps at-risk youth develop life and job skills as they plan, grow, harvest, market, and prepare vegetables as a team. The project involved 120 youth from local schools, summer job programs, and low-income housing complexes. Youth increased their understanding of where their food comes from and their ability to work as part of a team. They learned life and job skills including customer service, communication, leadership and healthy lifestyle behaviors. (S. Coblyn, V. Grubinger, P. Matylas, S. Hed)
USDA-Other Grant,. Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Although American diets in general are not meeting the recommended dietary guidelines, the average diet quality of people with limited resources is lower than the general population. EFNEP targets families with limited resources to improve their nutrition, food safety, and resource management practices. In 2004, indepth education was provided to 218 adults and 463 youths. 84 percent of adult graduates improved at least one food resource management practice, 90 percent improved at least one nutrition practice, and 56 percent improved at least one food safety practice. (H. Danis, C. Bapp, S. Bodette, B. Waters, B. Bessette, L. Brunelle, L. Stearns, R. Goodman, L. Berlin)
UVM Extension. Make Nutrition Compute project. People with limited resources may have limited access to new forms of technology. By providing nutrition education through the use of laptop computers in the home, this project aims to improve the diets of limited-resource individuals while at the same time increasing their computer skills. 60 limited-resource adults were reached in four Vermont counties. Participants reported increased intake of the recommended number of servings from each of the five food groups. Mean reported intake of protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B-6 also increased. (H. Danis, L. Berlin, B. Bessette, L. Brunelle, L. Stearns, B. Waters, R. Goodman)
Northeast Dairy Foods Reserach Center. The factors that predict beverage choice for young children. Children are consuming higher that recommended levels of sugar and lower than recommended levels of dairy products. The purpose of this project is to identify the factors that are responsible for beverage choice in young children. A questionnaire that will be distributed over the Internet to mothers has been developed. The information gathered will facilitate the development of interventions to promote appropriate beverage intake in young children. (J. Harvey-Berino)
Shelburne Farms. Growing Farms--Growing Minds evaluation. Hunger is a real issue for many Burlington school children and their families. Growing Farms--Growing Minds is a multi-dimensional, three-year program that will address the food needs of low-income children and their families in Burlington, develop new farm/food educational opportunities, and improve school meals for students. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods were developed and implemented to conduct formative and summative evaluation. The formative evaluation will give Growing Minds partners valuable insight into the program; final report recommendations will aid in ensuring its sustainability after the three-year grant period. (J. Kolodinsky, R. Narsana)
USDA-NRI Competitive Grant, VT-AES and UVM Extension. Novel approach for delivering nutrition, food safety, and health information to Vermont's elderly. Many older individuals are at increased nutritional risk due to factors associated with aging. This research project will determine if the Internet is an effective way to provide nutrition and health information to the elderly. A user-friendly, interactive, multimedia Web site has been developed to provide nutrition, food safety, and health information and resources. Results indicate that it was very successful at positively affecting nutrition behavior and in exposing seniors to the Internet. Elderly Vermonters have access to this Web application via computers placed in selected community senior centers. (S. Pintauro, L. Berlin, S. Burczy, A. Nickerson)
15 projects