Improving the quality of data from EFNEP participants with low literacy skills: a participant-driven model

Marilyn S Townsend; Chutima Ganthavorn; Marisa Neelon; Susan Donohue; Margaret C Johns

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.004

Improving the quality of data from EFNEP participants with low literacy skills: a participant-driven model

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2014 Jul-Aug;46(4):309-314. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.004. Epub 2013 Nov 20.

Authors

Marilyn S Townsend¹, Chutima Ganthavorn², Marisa Neelon³, Susan Donohue⁴, Margaret C Johns⁵

Affiliations

¹ Nutrition Department, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA. Electronic address: mstownsend@ucdavis.edu.
² University of California Cooperative Extension, Moreno Valley, CA.
³ University of California Cooperative Extension, Pleasant Hill, CA.
⁴ University of California Cooperative Extension, Oroville, CA.
⁵ University of California Cooperative Extension, Bakersfield, CA.

PMID: 24268971
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.004

Abstract

Low literacy skills and poor evaluation tool readability combined with the stresses of the classroom environment create a high cognitive load for Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) participants, resulting in lower quality data. The authors advocate for 9 strategies for improving the participant cognitive load for the evaluation process using the EFNEP Family Record as an example.

Keywords: EFNEP; cognitive load; enrollment form; evaluation; low literacy; low-income.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Diet Surveys* / instrumentation
Diet Surveys* / methods
Diet Surveys* / standards
Educational Status*
Health Education / methods*
Health Promotion / methods*
Humans
Models, Theoretical
Quality Improvement
Research Design