Document Type
Report
Publication Date
Fall 2024
Date of Final Presentation
11-20-2024
Committee Chair
April Howell, DNP, RN
Committee Member
Pam Strohfus, MA, DNP, RN
Coordinator/ Chair of DNP Program
April Howell, DNP, RN
Abstract/ Executive Summary
Problem Description
Poverty, decreased health literacy, and lack of community educational opportunities result in nutritional deficits. Students in the Umatilla School District and the surrounding community lack knowledge of the components of a nutritious diet. If not addressed, students and families are at risk of poor health outcomes.
Setting
The city of Umatilla has a population of 7,363, and the mean household income is $51,790 (United States Census Bureau, 2022). In the 2021-2022 school year, Umatilla School District 6R had 54% Ever English Learners, which included students who speak a language other than English at home (Oregon Department of Education, 2022). Seventy-three percent of Umatilla School District students identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 25% as White (Oregon Department of Education, 2022). All students who attend Umatilla School District 6R are provided free meals through the Community Eligibility Program.
Rationale
The theory of planned behavior states that a person's behavior is influenced by three factors: attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (Sheeran et al., 2001). The planned behavior theory is well suited for this QI scholarly project. Community members attend an educational event to expand their knowledge of nutrition with fellow community members and receive resources to make necessary dietary changes (see Appendix B and C).
Specific Aims
The aim of this quality improvement project is to increase nutritional awareness in Umatilla School District families who attend a nutrition session by 25% by July 2024. Poverty decreases health literacy, and lack of community education opportunities creates deficits in nutrition literacy. By providing nutritional education to Umatilla School District families, the goal is to see an increase in their baseline nutritional knowledge to avoid the risk of poor health outcomes resulting from nutritional deficits.
Project Outcomes
In July 2024, 75% of the nutritional event attendees completed a post-event questionnaire. Twenty-five percent of the nutritional event attendees stated they increased their nutrition knowledge at the end of the event. Seventy-five percent of the attendees stated their sense of inclusion in the community increased. Fifty percent of the attendees stated they feel confident knowing how to positively change their dietary habits. Seventy-five percent of the attendees stated they are committed to decreasing their intake of sugary drinks.
Implementation and Evaluation Plan
The intervention for this project is gathering community members in a public space, where free nutrition education material is shared in the two most common languages by someone with the same cultural background as most attendees. Education material is from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called “Setting the Table for Healthy Eating” (Health Educators, 2022). The education material is free and written in both English and Spanish. The FDA PowerPoint will be shared in English and Spanish by Food Corps members who have specialized knowledge in nutrition and culturally sensitive practices. At the conclusion of the educational presentation, parent-teacher group members will provide attendees with a questionnaire. The questionnaire contains four questions from the FDA and four questions created by the DNP student to collect data to evaluate the nutrition education event (See Appendix M).
Results
The educational event resulted in nineteen community members being present for the presentation, and seventeen completed the questionnaire. According to the questionnaire, 88% stated that their nutrition knowledge increased, and 94% indicated that they felt included in the community.
Interpretation
While attendance was less than anticipated, the results imply that the community felt included, increased their nutrition knowledge, and is committed to decreasing their consumption of sugary drinks.
Conclusions
Free community events, provided in a safe and welcoming environment, are an excellent platform for increasing nutritional education and wellness. Collaboration with community partners is key to ensuring the community’s demographics, languages, and cultural norms are known and addressed. By increasing this knowledge, communities can become healthier, one family at a time.
Recommended Citation
Bow, Tamara, "Addressing Risk for Poor Health Outcomes by Establishing a Culturally Appropriate Community Nutrition Education Event" (2024). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 67.
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/dnp/67