Evaluating Effectiveness of an Intervention Designed to Improve Nutrition Knowledge in Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program Participants

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of individualized nutrition education handouts specific to participants’ chronic condition(s) on increasing knowledge. Design: Quasi-experimental Methods: Pre-intervention and post-intervention data assessing nutrition knowledge was compared and analyzed using a paired t-test(p < 0.05) and chi square test. Setting: The intervention took place at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County in Watertown, New York. Intervention: The intervention consisted of customizing nutrition/dietary handouts to three chronic condition diet orders that participants were diagnosed with prior to the study for the purpose of increasing nutrition knowledge. The diets were diabetic, low-fat/low-cholesterol, and sodium. Results: The intervention did not generate statistically significant results for the quantitative data, however, improvements in knowledge were demonstrated through qualitative data. Change in knowledge and understanding about following dietary restrictions recommended for a chronic condition, participant’s confidence in their ability to identify appropriate recipes, ability to alter a recipe with healthy substitutions, and prepare meals suitable their diagnoses, and grocery shopping behavior did not have significant results after the intervention. Conclusions & Implications: Nutrition/dietary informational handouts are not a statistically significant intervention for the set study duration. A larger sample size and longer intervention period is needed to determine the effectiveness of the planned intervention.