Design and Implementation of a Nutrition and Breastfeeding Education Program for Black Expecting Mothers and Fathers

Abstract

Objective: To describe the intervention and research methods of Project Dads in Nutrition Education, an intervention that adds nutrition and breastfeeding education to the existing Healthy Start program in Georgia for Black expecting mothers and fathers to improve nutrition literacy, health outcomes, and breastfeeding rates.

Design: This 2-year community-based participatory research study employs a cluster randomization factorial design.

Setting: Six Healthy Start program sites (3 intervention and 3 control sites) in Georgia counties with high infant and maternal mortality rates.

Participants: Approximately 480 Black, expecting, Healthy Start program participants (20 couples [mother and father] and 40 single mothers from each site) will be enrolled over the study period.

Intervention(s): Project Dads in Nutrition Education will strengthen the capacity of the Georgia Healthy Start program to integrate an evidence-based nutrition education program, breastfeeding education, and father engagement into its routine services.

Main outcome measure(s): Changes in prepost survey assessment of participants' nutrition literacy and eating behaviors; changes in prepost survey assessment of participants' breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, intent, initiation, and duration; and health and food diary collected 3 times (ie, at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months after enrollment).

Analysis: Process evaluation throughout the study to document implementation. Generalized linear mixed modeling will be used to determine the impact of the intervention.

Keywords: breastfeeding; father involvement; health disparities; maternal health; nutrition education.