Abstract TU167: A Culturally Competent Journey in Nutrition Education

Abstract

Introduction: Nutrition education is a key strategy in combating obesity and heart disease. The purpose of this exploratory study was to implement A Taste of African Heritage (ATOAH), a culturally relevant nutrition and cooking intervention designed to increase knowledge and promote healthier eating behaviors among aging African American women. The following research questions were examined: (1) How does a 6-week culturally relevant program influence the intake and adoption of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains? (2) How does a 6-week culturally relevant program impact meal planning and cooking confidence? Methods: 16 African American women (M age 76.7 years) across two assisted living communities were recruited via flyers and brochures for this six-week study. Women between the ages of 60 and 75 who expressed an interest in cooking. An adapted version of the ATOAH intervention was conducted over a six-week period with weekly two-hour sessions. Each session included a nutrition lesson, recipe demonstration, group discussion, and hands-on tasting. The USDA Food Frequency questionnaire was administered pre and post intervention to evaluate changes in fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake (Willett et al., 1985). Data Analysis/Results: A subsample (n=8) completed both pre and post intervention survey measures. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate pre- and post-intervention percentages to assess changes in participants’ dietary behaviors. At baseline, 25% of participants reported consuming fruit at least once per day, which increased to 62.5% at posttest, a 37.5 percentage point improvement. Vegetable intake also increased, with 12.5% consuming green salad more than once per week at baseline, which increased to 50% post-intervention. Whole grain consumption also showed positive change, increasing from 12.5% to 37.5% of participants reporting intake more than once per week, a 25-percentage point increase. Cooking confidence also improved, with 12.5% of participants initially reporting they were “somewhat confident” in using healthy ingredients from the program in a meal, increasing to 20% post-intervention. Conclusion: Improvements in fruit and vegetable intake among aging African American women, suggest that the additional considerations for a culturally tailored nutrition education may show greater promise in promoting dietary behavior change than traditional intervention approaches.