Using a Toolbox of Tailored Educational Lessons to Improve Fruit, Vegetable, and Physical Activity Behaviors among African American Women in California

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. S75 - S85
• Main Authors: Backman, Desiree, DrPH, MS, RD, Scruggs, Valarie, BA, Atiedu, Akpene Ama, MS, Bowie, Shene, DrPH, Bye, Larry, MA, Dennis, Angela, BA, Hall, Melanie, MS, RD, Ossa, Alexandra, MPH, Wertlieb, Stacy, MS, Foerster, Susan B., MPH, RD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2011; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult Education; African American women; African Americans; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Attitude Change; Attitude Measures; attitudes and opinions; Behavior Change; Behavior Modification; California; Choice Behavior; Cohort Studies; Community Education; Community Organizations; Comparative Analysis; Control Groups; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Eating Habits; empowerment; Experimental Groups; Feeding Behavior; Female; Females; Food; Fruit; fruit consumption; Fruits; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Health Behavior; Health Education - methods; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; Health Services; Humans; income; Internal Medicine; Intervention; Low Income; Middle Aged; Motor Activity; Nutrition; Nutrition Instruction; Outcomes of Treatment; Physical Activities; physical activity; Pretests Posttests; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Quasiexperimental Design; Risk factors; Self Efficacy; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Surveys and Questionnaires; teachers; vegetable; Vegetables; Women; California; United States > US; empowerment; vegetable; fruit; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; physical activity; African American women
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620; 1708-8259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2011.02.004

Abstract Objective Evaluate the effectiveness of the Fruit, Vegetable, and Physical Activity Toolbox for Community Educators (Toolbox) , an intervention originally designed for Spanish- and English-speaking audiences, in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among low-income African American women. Design Quasi-experimental design with treatment and control groups. Setting Four community-based organizations and direct health service provider sites. Participants African American women ages 18-54 (156 treatment, 171 control), 75% of whom were low income. Intervention Six 1-hour Toolbox classes. Main Outcome Measures Knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, empowerment, and behavior change related to fruits and vegetables and physical activity. Analysis Dependent t tests pre- to posttest and chi-square test between control and treatment groups. Results Women in the treatment group reported significant changes in 9 measures of attitude, compared to 1 measure in the control group, as well as 12 measures of confidence and 5 measures of empowerment for which the control group showed no changes. Compared to those in the control group, women in the treatment group were also more likely to make behavioral changes to meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. Conclusions and Implications Toolbox lessons were effective in increasing participants’ knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, empowerment, and reported fruit and vegetable- and physical activity-related behaviors.