Recipient Organization
UNIV OF HAWAII
3190 MAILE WAY
HONOLULU,HI 96822
Performing Department
Human Nutrition, Food & Animal Sciences
Non Technical Summary
In order to address the problem of food waste in youth, it is necessary to obtain information on the reasons that food is wasted. Information regarding perspectives, motivators and barriers to minimizing food waste in youth is lacking in the literature, and may be used to inform the development of educational materials containing information on this issue. Previous studies have shown that providing education can prompt individuals to change their behavior with regards to food waste,and research examining the effects of educational messages on minimization of food waste in youth has shown promising results. A previous study that sought to determine how introduction of simple message on minimizing food waste impacted behaviors in a university dining facility found that presentation of messages stimulated a 15% reduction in food waste.Data on the reasons food is wasted in youth may serve as a basis for design of messages and educational materials that may be incorporated into existing systems and programs to impact behavior.
Animal Health Component
70%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
70%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
The major goals of the project will be:1. To understand perspectives, motivators and barriers to minimizing food waste of adolescents ages 9-13 y.2. To develop and test educational messages and materials designed to motivate adolescents and caretakers to reduce food waste in the target populations.3. To evaluate educational messages and materials in paraprofessional staff from the Extension Nutrition Education Program to further determine relevance and acceptability for the target population.
Project Methods
Objective 1) Year 1Based on the results of previously conducted interviews, key beliefs and influences on food waste will be selected to be the focus of the educational materials to be developed. Educational materials will be developed to reflect the findings of the interviews, in a form that may be printed as a handout or presented on a website. Social media may also be an avenue through which messages may be conveyed. A corresponding lesson plan will be created for use in an instructional setting, so that educators may convey messages verbally in addition to using the materials created. In addition, taglines and images will also be developed for the creation of additional materials in the form of creative briefs, a tool used in marketing to allow a graphic designer to understand the target audience and the goal of the promotional effort.These additional materials will be designed in a format that will be able to be displayed in the home in a location relevant to the behavior targeted, such as the kitchen.Once educational materials, including creative briefs, have been developed, qualitative testing of messages and materials will be performed. A sample of 30 adolescent-caretaker dyads will be recruited from YMCA, after school programs, and through other avenues for individual interviews, in which they will be asked to evaluate messages with regards to message comprehension, motivation, relevance, acceptability, and novelty. The trained interviewer will refer to an interview guide to complete the interviews, which will last approximately 30 minutes and will be audio taped. Participants will be compensated with a $10 gift card to a major chain store in exchange for their time. Audio recordings will be transcribed and themes will be identified using content analysis.Objective 2) Year 2After the completion of testing of messages and materials with adolescents and caretakers, qualitative testing of messages will be performed in paraprofessional staff from the Extension Nutrition Education Program. A sample of 10 paraprofessionals will be recruited for individual interviews, in which they will be asked to evaluate messages with regards to relevance and acceptability for the target population. The trained interviewer will refer to an interview guide to complete the interviews, which will last approximately 30 minutes and will be audio taped. Participants will be compensated with a $10 gift card to a major chain store in exchange for their time. Audio recordings will be transcribed and themes will be identified using content analysis.