Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Accomplishments

Short-term accomplishments

• Data have been collected for a quasi-experimental study to determine the cost-benefit of EFNEP education based on changes in biomarkers like BMI, blood pressure, and HbA1c.
• A standardized Spanish translation of the adult EFNEP evaluation questionnaire has been developed and validated by bilingual experts in nutrition, physical activity, food safety, and food resource management.
• Planning has taken place to begin or build upon studies that will continue to investigate the benefits of EFNEP education and/or improve the program’s scientific rigor.

Outputs

          Presentations

1. Diaz Rios LK. Validation of the EFNEP Adult Questionnaire Spanish Version, a project of the NC3169: EFNEP Related Research, Program Evaluation and Outreach. (2023) California EFNEP Advisor & Supervisor Meeting. (November)
2. Amin S, Puglisi M. (2024) Exploring Peer Educator Perceptions of Physical Activity Delivered to EFNEP Adults. EFNEP Coordinators Meeting. (Feb; Arlington, VA)
3. MacMillan Uribe AL. (2024) Spanish Adaptation of Food and Physical Activity Behavior Questionnaire for EFNEP Evaluation. Texas A&M Department of Nutrition Faculty Seminar. (April)
4. Santos L. (2024) EFNEP Peer Educator Facilitators and Barriers to Teaching Physical Activity to Adult Participants. University of Rhode Island Master’s thesis defense. (April; South Kingstown, RI)
5. Mayaki T, Bastian G. (2024) A methodology for assessing the validity and reliability of a national Food and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents from low-income communities. International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual meeting. (May 21; Omaha, NE) Available online at https://isbnpa.org/ (oral abstract)
6. Chen Q, Baker S, Palmer-Keenan D, Fitzgerald N. (2024) Exploring Response Shift Bias, Reliability and Validity by Using Retrospective Pretests-Posttests in EFNEP Evaluations. (poster accepted for the 2024 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior annual meeting, July; Knoxville, TN)
7. Mayaki T, Bastian GE. (2024) Preliminary sensitivity assessment of a Food and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents from low-income communities. (poster accepted for the 2024 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior annual meeting, July; Knoxville, TN)

Publications

1. Earnesty DS, Franck K, Baker S, Roe AJ, Puglisi M, Sankavaram K. (2024) Standardizing Dietary Recall: A Necessity for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. J Nutr Ed Behav. (in press).

Graduate Students Trained/In training

1. Maya Azar Atallah, Ph.D., Rutgers University, Advisor: Nurgul Fitzgerald
2. Tomisin Mayaki, Ph.D., South Dakota State University, Advisor: Geb Bastian
3. Luisa Santos, M.S., University of Rhode Island, Advisor: Sarah Amin (completed Spring 2024)

Activities

EFNEP Evaluation Research

• A standardized Spanish translation of the adult EFNEP questionnaire has been developed and validated by expert review. Cognitive interviews with 60 Spanish-speaking, EFNEP-eligible participants have been conducted to determine the target audience’s ability to comprehend this translated survey.
• A methodology for conducting additional validity and reliability testing of evaluation question items used for middle- and high-school aged EFNEP participants has been developed and is undergoing IRB approval.

Physical Activity Barriers

• 15 semi-structured interviews with peer educators in the Northeast region revealed barriers to teaching physical activity education in EFNEP, e.g., lack of classroom space, or perceived lack of proper training.
• The researchers plan to interview more EFNEP educators in the other 3 NIFA regions to get a more nationally representative sample.

Curricula Analysis

• This new project, aiming to examine the content and implementation characteristics of adult EFNEP curricula that impact nutrition and physical activity behaviors, has started this year with team building, literature review, and developing study protocols and review instruments.
• Content analysis will begin in Year 2.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

• 500 participants from CO, FL, MD, and WA have been recruited for a study to determine the cost-benefit of EFNEP education based on biomarkers like BMI, blood pressure, and HbA1c (250 received EFNEP education, 250 in control group). Retention rates for the study have been high, with 82% completing Posttest 1 (directly after intervention), 75% of that sample completing Posttest 2 (6 months), and 76% of the previous sample completing Posttest 3 (1 year).
• A scoring matrix is being developed to create a cost-benefit model of EFNEP education based on participants’ responses to the program’s evaluation survey and 24-hour dietary recall. This matrix will be used to determine the cost-benefit of EFNEP at a national scale.

Quality of Life

• Annie Roe (Idaho) has received a $1000 internal award for validity and reliability testing of the EFNEP Quality of Life questionnaire. A plan was put in place to finish cognitive interviews by Fall 2024 and start validity and reliability testing in 2025.
• The group plans to submit an R01 to the NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities that will investigate the changes in cognitive, mental health, emotional wellbeing, and quality of life outcomes that result from participating in federal nutrition education programs.
  

Milestones

• One research need identified at our Albany meeting was a difficulty with recruiting EFNEP participants, particularly from states who are not represented on NC3169. The team developed a spreadsheet to more easily organize information about each LGU that implements EFNEP, including the name of the EFNEP coordinator, other relevant staff, NC3169 members who work at that university, and other relevant connections (e.g., universities where NC3169 members have done EFNEP-related postdocs, or have established relationships with EFNEP staff through professional societies or other endeavors).
• Four new faculty and Extension professionals have been recruited to NC3169: Dr. M. Shea Austin Cantu (Arizona), Dr. Ilce Medina Meza (Michigan State), Lucille Tang (Rutgers Cooperative Extension), and Dr. Sumathi Venkatesh (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension).
• Data collection will begin/continue for each project in 2024-2025.
• The Quality of Life team will apply for an R01 in 2025.
• Geb Bastian (SD State) will lead a content analysis of EFNEP impact statements (qualitative impacts that are provided to NIFA yearly by each LGU) to understand how EFNEP participants engage in transformational learning that could inform the quality of life project.

1. Earnesty DS, Franck K, Baker S, Roe AJ, Puglisi M, Sankavaram K. (2024) Standardizing Dietary Recall: A Necessity for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. J Nutr Ed Behav. (in press).