Progress 04/01/17 to 03/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience wasoverweight and obese parents and children residing in selected Alabama Black Belt counties with obesity rates of 35-40% , with chilren between the ages of 8-12 and adults. Changes/Problems:In the last phase of the study major changes involvethe program protocol from a face-to face in person program to a virtual nutrition education program. All surveys, and data collection were collected electronically, to include informed consent. Data was self-reported using devices provided by the project team to standardized methods and reduce methodological errors. Virtual training was given to all volunteers/participants, and the opportunity to ask question and probe for claritywas also done virtually. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided training for graduate students in the Department of Food & Nutritional Sciences, the home of the project, Cooperate extension agents in the Black Belt communities where the study was conducted, post- doctoral, and summer interns from the Schoolof Nursing and Allied Health. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results of the study wasdissiminated to the group in the form of composite data on the outcomes. Limitations based on the results were also discussed with the volunteers on the final day of the program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Community-based interventions: Nutrition education was organized in modules and delivered by the research team. The content for the nutrition education modules was tailored to meet the community needs that were identified from the focus groups and healthy knowledge survey. Nutrition education modules used in the study included: (i) Fact on the current state of obesity in Alabama, (ii) Stages of changes (TTM) iii) Nutrients in foods, (iv) Nutrient-disease interactions, (v) Food labelling, (vi) Food preparation, (vii) Physical exercise, (viii) Strategies for consuming healthy meals at home, (ix) Shopping healthy choices on a low budget, (x) and The impact of media on food choices. For each module, pre- and post-assessment tests were completed. Physical activity was conducted after each nutrition education module using physical activity guidelines from the American Heart Association, Briefly, moderate-intense physical activity was conducted for 30 mins by a professional fitness coach, which consisted of aerobic exercises such as walking, dancing, jump squats and air punching. The exercise was completed by a cool down period (2-3 mins) consisting of less-intense exercises such as stretching, sitting, and breathing in-and-out. To ensure regular physical activity, participants were encouraged to select their own exercises and daily workout routine based on individual preferenceand confort levelsfor 30 mins. Anthropometric and blood pressure data were collected during the nutrition education to measure the effectiveness of the program based on reduction of the risk factors. The final phase of the project used a web-based program due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in participants' knowledge scores. Values for systolic blood pressure significantly reduced (p<0.00). There was an increase in number of participants with normal blood pressure and a reduction in number of participants with stage 2 hypertension. Sixty (60) percent of volunteers/participants showed a decline in weight, while 9.8%maintained their weight, and 43% of the participants lost between 5-10kg bodyweight. Volunteers reported increasing their physical activity, and those who were physically inactive, started an exercise routine. Presentations: Johnpaul Kagulire*, and Norma L. Dawkins. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Obesity and Overweight Among African Americans in Rural Alabama. Presented: National Association of African American Studies, February 17-22, 2020, Dallas TX. Johnpaul Kagulire*, Dr Norma Dawkins. The Impact of overweight and obesity: Rural Alabamians Perceptions. Presented at Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 8-11, 2019 Auburn/Opelika. Norma Dawkins*, Adelia Bovell-Benjamin and Vivian Carter. Web-based approach for practical interactive overweight and obesity prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama black-belt counties. To be Presented at American Public Health Association, Oct 24-27, 2021 Denver CO. Thesis: Johnpaul Kagulire: A Multi-Faceted Nutrition and Physical Activity Intervention Program For Prevention and Reduction of Overweight and Obesity Among African Americans in Selected Alabama Black-Belt Counties. J. Tumwabaze, J. Kagulire and N. Dawkins, Overweight and Obesity Challenges Among African Americans in Rural Alabama Black Belt. In Review: Journal of Extension, In Review. * Presennter. Program Webpage: Used for web-based delivery of information for programvolunteers and others forutrition education and other related program information. https://www.tupreventsblackbeltobesity.com
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Progress 04/01/19 to 03/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Overweight and obesity parents and children in selected Alabama Black Belt Counties. These Counties have high rates of obesity compared with that of the state and nation. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This opportunity provided training for graduate students in data collection and analysis using different data analyses packages (SAS, SPSS etc.). It also provided training for extension agents in enhancing their data collection skills in translational research. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Delivery of the nutrition and physical education curriculum, data analysis, final thesis , development of manuscript, and dissemination of information, and preparation the final report for USDA/NIFA
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A 33-item self-administered questionnaire consisted of three sections: knowledge, attitudes, and perception (here after abbreviated as KAP) were administered. The knowledge section comprised of close-ended questions that assessed the participants' understanding of obesity, its prevalence, and consequences. The perception and attitudes section collected information on perceived strategies to fight obesity, perceived importance of obesity in relation to other diseases, and perceived role of various stakeholders in prevention of obesity. A Likert-type four-point scale (strongly disagree, disagree, Agree, and, strongly agree) was used to determine participants' desire to learn more about obesity, support for various obesity prevention strategies, and an understanding of the relationship between obesity and chronic diseases. This section also assessed participants' understanding of the role played by the government, schools, employers, and healthcare providers in the prevention of obesity. In addition, the questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, such as, participants' gender, age, ethnicity, education level, and income status. The questionnaire was reviewed by researchers in the departments of psychology, nutrition, and education and pre-tested using individuals from Bullock county, the site for the study, questionnaires were corrected for appropriateness in format, ethical considerations, logical order, and content. Subsequent test for internal consistency reliability yielded a Cronbach's coefficient alpha of 0.85.
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Progress 04/01/18 to 03/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Overweight and obese parent and child pairs residing in selective Alabama black Belt Counties. These Counties have high rates of obesity ranging from 38-42% much higher of the state and national averages. Changes/Problems:No major changes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided training for graduate students, extension agents and nursing students in training, in reasearch protocols, data collection, and community engagement. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, researcher will develop and administera health knowledge survey that will provide additional information to assist in developing a culturally sensitive program based on information gathered
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Focus group discussions were conducted after receiving written informed consent . Focus group questions were formatted to ensure that they were comprehensive in content and ethically appropriate. The focus group discussions covered eight topics related to participants understanding of healthy lifestyle, importance of physical activity, social relationships and health, role of community-health programs, barriers and motivations to healthy lifestyles, and willingness to participate in nutrition education programs. Focus group discussions started with an icebreaker where each participant shared their name, favorite food and how long they have lived in Bullock County. The discussions were audio-recorded and written documentation by trained research assistants.
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Progress 04/01/17 to 03/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Parents and children residing in selective Black Belt counties of Alabama at risk for overweight and obesity Changes/Problems:The problem encountered during the implementation of this project was the recruiting of parent-child pairs. However, for the remaining counties we will recurit parent-child pairs through the the schools' Parent and Teachers Associations (PTA) for each county. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students are trained in research methodologies, data collection, evaluation and content delivery. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Content information is presented in colorful brochures. Also non-invasive biomarkers results are presented on a weekly basis so that participants can make changes as they progress through the program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Complete data collection, evaluate the effectiveness of the interactive, integrative nutrition education and physical activity program by examining the relationship of knowledge of obesity and dietary behaviors and selected anthropometric data on weight, BMI and total cholesterol. Complete thesis and publish at least two refereed journal articles
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Nutrition education and physical activity were delivered between July and September in Bullock County, a Black Belt county in Alabama. Physical measurements/data were collected, pre-and post test from nutrition education and pre-post anthropometric data. Also a health knowledge survey was administered among 120 individuals at risk for overweight and obesity.
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