BACKGROUND: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) differs from other federal nutrition programs in that nutrition education is a required component. WIC programs traditionally provide in-person education, but recently some WIC sites have started offering online education. Education focused on reducing salt intake is an important topic for WIC participants because a high-sodium diet has been associated with high blood pressure, and low-income populations are at increased risk. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to examine the impacts of traditional in-person and online nutrition education on changes in knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors related to reducing salt intake in low-income women enrolled in WIC. DESIGN: Although a comparison of groups was not the primary focus, a randomized trial examining the impact of online and in-person nutrition education on participant knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors related to salt intake was conducted. PARTICIPANTS/ SETTING: Five hundred fourteen WIC participants from three Los Angeles, CA, WIC clinics received either in-person (n=257) or online (n=257) education. Questionnaires assessing salt-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors were administered at baseline and 2 to 4 months and 9 months later from November 2014 through October 2015. RESULTS: Positive changes in knowledge and self-efficacy were retained 2 to 4 months and 9 months later for both groups (P<0.05). Both groups reported significant changes in behaviors related to using less salt in cooking (P<0.0001) and eating fewer foods with salt added at the table or during cooking (P<0.001) at 2 to 4 months and 9 months. CONCLUSIONS: Both online and in-person education resulted in improvements during a 9-month period in knowledge, self-efficacy, and reported behaviors associated with reducing salt intake in a low-income population. Offering an online education option for WIC participants could broaden the reach of nutrition education and lead to long-term positive dietary changes.
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BACKGROUND: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) differs from other federal nutrition programs in that nutrition education is a required component. WIC programs traditionally provide in-person education, but recently some WIC sites have started offering online education. Education focused on reducing salt intake is an important topic for WIC participants because a high-sodium diet has been associated with high blood pressure, and low-income populations are at increased risk. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to examine the impacts of traditional in-person and online nutrition education on changes in knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors related to reducing salt intake in low-income women enrolled in WIC. DESIGN: Although a comparison of groups was not the primary focus, a randomized trial examining the impact of online and in-person nutrition education on participant knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors related to salt intake was conducted. PARTICIPANTS/ SETTING: Five hundred fourteen WIC participants from three Los Angeles, CA, WIC clinics received either in-person (n=257) or online (n=257) education. Questionnaires assessing salt-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors were administered at baseline and 2 to 4 months and 9 months later from November 2014 through October 2015. RESULTS: Positive changes in knowledge and self-efficacy were retained 2 to 4 months and 9 months later for both groups (P<0.05). Both groups reported significant changes in behaviors related to using less salt in cooking (P<0.0001) and eating fewer foods with salt added at the table or during cooking (P<0.001) at 2 to 4 months and 9 months. CONCLUSIONS: Both online and in-person education resulted in improvements during a 9-month period in knowledge, self-efficacy, and reported behaviors associated with reducing salt intake in a low-income population. Offering an online education option for WIC participants could broaden the reach of nutrition education and lead to long-term positive dietary changes.
Authors: Sarah Stotz; Luciana E Hebert; Angela G Brega; Steven Lockhart; J Neil Henderson; Yvette Roubideaux; Kristen DeSanto; Kelly R Moore Journal: J Health Care Poor Underserved Date: 2021-05
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