Effectiveness of Nutrition Education Intervention in Schenectady County Meal Site Participants

Abstract

Background: The rapid growth of the aging population presents challenges for the healthcare industry. Increased longevity is often accompanied by higher risk of chronic disease, functional impairment, and food insecurity. Programs offered by Offices of the Aging seek to combat these issues through the provision of meals, nutrition education, physical activities, social activities, and health screenings. A needs assessment conducted at Schenectady County congregate meal sites revealed a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease and, despite educational offerings, significant nutrition knowledge deficits. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of multiple sessions of heart-healthy nutrition education on congregate meal site participants’ nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, and blood pressures. Methods: 16 participants were recruited at the Glenville meal site. Changes in dietary habits and nutrition knowledge were evaluated by comparing FFQ and nutrition knowledge assessment data collected during the needs assessment to post-intervention results. Changes in blood pressure were evaluated by comparing pre- to post-intervention measurements. Results: There were non-significant increases in overall nutrition knowledge assessment scores, as well as the scores for questions pertaining to the salt and fat content of foods. There were no significant changes in dietary habits or blood pressure measurements as compared to baseline. Conclusions: Further research is needed to evaluate whether more educational sessions over a longer duration of time might be more effective at impacting changes in nutrition knowledge, dietary behaviors and health outcomes.