Progress 01/15/22 to 01/14/25
Outputs
Target Audience:The People, Plants, and the Planet project is an integrated research, education, and Extension project that aims to develop, implement, and pilot-test an innovative planetary health curriculum that will encompass the impact of food on planetary and human health. This project is grounded in decision-making processes to increase plant-based foods that support the prevention of chronic disease among adolescents. This curriculum is responsive to the recent New Jersey climate change education requirement for K-12 schools and will result in an understanding of factors affecting the plant-based food choices of adolescents and develop a behaviorally focused, theory-driven intervention using a community-based participation approach to gather input and feedback from adolescents aimed at increasing intake of plant-based foods. The products of this project will be refined based on the results from a pilot test in three New Jersey schools, and then be made widely accessible beyond the funding period. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Formally and informally trained graduate and undergraduate students on interview skills, development of lesson materials, plans, videos, and worksheets. Created 10 units including lesson plans, lesson materials, PowerPoint presentations, and videos on food systems, environmental concerns and the integration of both. Implemented process evaluation techniques, monitored data collection activities, analyzed data using multiple software and techniques.? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated via presentations at professional and community events, as well as through academic journals publications. Presentations on this project were presented at the Annual Public Health Symposium, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Annual Conference, the Society for Nutrition, Education, and Behavior International Conference, the American Society for Nutrition Conference, and the International Academic Forum (IAFOR) International Conference on Education. Peer-reviewed journal articles on the results of this project were published in the IAFOR International Conference on Education - Hawaii 2024 Official Conference Proceedings and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Posters Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. USDA - People, Plants, and the Planet - Determinants of Food Choice in Adolescents. 27th Annual Public Health Symposium; April 2023; New Brunswick, NJ Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. USDA - People, Plants, and the Planet - Factors Influencing How Adolescents Care for the Planet. 27th Annual Public Health Symposium; April 2023; New Brunswick, NJ Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. USDA - People, Plants, and the Planet - Determinants of Food Choice in Adolescents. Rutgers Cooperative Extension 2023 Annual Conference; December 2022; New Brunswick, NJ Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. USDA - People, Plants, and the Planet - Factors Influencing How Adolescents Care for the Planet. Rutgers Cooperative Extension 2023 Annual Conference; December 2022; New Brunswick, NJ. Elnakib, S., Barlow, S., Downs, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. USDA - People, Plants, and the Planet - Determinants of Food Choice and How Adolescents Care for the Planet. Society for Nutrition, Education, and Behavior 2023 International Conference; July 2023; Washington, D.C. Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. People, Plants, and the Planet - Determinants of Food Choice & Sustainability Factors in Youth & Adolescents. American Society for Nutrition - Nutrition 2023 Conference; July 2023; Boston, MA. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major goals of the project The long-term goal of this integrated education and extension New Investigator Seed Grant Project is to reduce the prevalence of obesity and associated chronic diseases among adolescents. The shorter-term goals and supporting objectives are: - To examine the influence of adolescents' climate change knowledge and beliefs on their food choices with the goal of informing the development of an educational intervention to increase plant-based foods (i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and subsequently reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases among adolescents. - To develop, implement, and pilot-test an innovative planetary health curriculum to increase plant-based foods (i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains) that support the prevention of chronic disease among adolescents. What was accomplished under these goals? Under these goals we conducted interviews conducted with 41 students across three school districts within New Jersey to gain a better understanding of factors that drive their food choices and what they feel they can do to care for the environment. From these interviews we were able to develop a 6 unit, 12 lesson curriculum which centered around food systems, the connection between environmental concerns and food systems, different types of eating patterns, and ways in which students could choose foods that were both healthy for their body and good for the environment. Within these lessons we also created videos for each unit in the curriculum with corresponding visuals and video guides and PowerPoint presentations which included interactive components such as response guides, worksheets, and experiments. Lastly, food waste audits were conducted in all schools prior to and after the intervention. This project helped to mentor both undergraduate and graduate students in gaining knowledge on these topic areas then teaching them to the 5th grade classes. To assess the data that was collected as a result of this project, the project team collaborated with Rutgers University Biostatistics & Epidemiology Services (RUBIES). The RUBIES team found the following: "In summary...the only statistically significant difference was a difference in pre-/post- vegetable food waste. There was actually an increase in vegetable food waste overall and in the control group. Whereas there was no statistical difference in vegetable food waste pre/post in the intervention group. This could be evidence that the intervention helped limit vegetable food waste at the intervention schools, while the control schools actually saw a jump in vegetable food waste. Looking at modeling the odds for students to select plant-based entrees over animal-based entrees, these models did not return statistically significant overall, pre-intervention, or post-intervention."?
Publications
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Elnakib S., Subhit S., Schoolman E., Policastro P., Downs S., & Quick V. (2024) People, Plants, and the Planet: The Design and Impact of a Climate Change Curriculum to Support Plant-Based Eating in U.S. Adolescents ISSN: 2189-1036 â¿¿ The IAFOR International Conference on Education â¿¿ Hawaii 2024 Official Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2024.60
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Elnakib, S., Barlow, S., Downs, S., Schoolman, E., & Policastro, P. (2023) Peoples, Plants, and the Planet: Determinants of Food Choice and Factors Influencing How Adolescents Care for the Planet. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 55(7). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2023.05.237
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Downs. S.M., Barlow, S., Staromiejska, W., Tannous. M., Policastro, P., Schoolman, E., Elnakib, S. Shifting New Jersey adolescents towards sustainable diets: factors that influence their food choice and views on environmental sustainability. (Under review in JNEB).
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
People, Plants, and the Planet curriculum (10 lessons) https://sites.rutgers.edu/ppp/
|
Progress 01/15/23 to 01/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Goal 1: We have accomplished the major objectives of this goal entirely. We have completed semi-structured cognitive interviews with Three school districts across New Jersey representing different community structures: Newton School District (rural), Paterson School District (urban), and Long Branch School District (coastal). A convenience sample of 41 students was obtained. 24.4% (n=10) were 10 years old, 58.5% (n=24) were 11 years old, and 4.9% (n=2) were 12 years old. 51.2% (n=21) were female, 46.3% were male (n=19), and 2.4% (n=1) was of unknown gender. Changes/Problems:We need additional time to complete the manuscripts in development, we have submitted for a no-cost extension to complete this stage of the proposal. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Formally and informally trained graduate and undergraduate students on interview skills and development of lesson materials, plans, videos, and worksheets. Created ten units, including lesson plans, lesson materials, PowerPoint presentations, and videos on food systems, environmental concerns, and the integration of both. Implemented process evaluation techniques, monitored data collection activities, and analyzed data using multiple software and techniques that were led by students and supported by the PIs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated via posters and oral presentations at professional conferences for nutrition, education, and extension both nationally and internationally. Additionally, multiple manuscripts and conference proceedings are being developed or have been submitted to share the results of this project. Finally, once the final revisions of the curriculum are completed based on the process evaluation results, cooperative extension personnel will distribute the curriculum at the county-wide superintendent round table to support dissemination across the state of New Jersey. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We hope to finalize the manuscripts that are currently in development and publish them in refereed journals as well as attend professional conferences to share the program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Based on these goals, we conducted interviews with 41 students across three school districts within New Jersey to gain a better understanding of the factors that drive their food choices and what they feel they can do to care for the environment. From these interviews, we were able to develop a 5-unit, 10-lesson curriculum that centered around food systems, the connection between environmental concerns and food systems, different types of eating patterns, and ways in which students could choose foods that were both healthy for their body and good for the environment. Within these lessons, we also created videos for each unit in the curriculum with corresponding visuals, video guides, and PowerPoint presentations, which included interactive components such as response guides, worksheets, and experiments. Lastly, food waste audits were conducted in all schools prior to and after the intervention to measure changes in plant-based eating. This project also helped to mentor both undergraduate and graduate students in gaining knowledge on these topic areas and then teaching them to the 5th-grade classes.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
https://sites.rutgers.edu/ppp/
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. USDA â¿¿ People, Plants, and the Planet â¿¿ Determinants of Food Choice in Adolescents.
27th Annual Public Health Symposium; April 2023; New Brunswick, NJ
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. USDA â¿¿ People, Plants, and the Planet â¿¿ Factors Influencing How Adolescents Care for the Planet.
27th Annual Public Health Symposium; April 2023; New Brunswick, NJ
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Elnakib, S., Barlow, S., Downs, S., Schoolman, E., & Policastro, P. (2023). People Plants and the Planet: Determinants of Food Choice and Factors Influencing How Adolescents Care for the Planet. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 55(7), 112.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Barlow, S.A, Downs, S., Elnakib, S., Schoolman, E., Policastro, P. People, Plants, and the Planet â¿¿ Determinants of Food Choice & Sustainability Factors in Youth & Adolescents. American Society for Nutrition â¿¿ Nutrition 2023 Conference; July 2023; Boston, MA.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Elnakib, S., Subhit, S., Policastro, P., Schoolman, E., Downs, S., Quick, V. â¿¿People, Plants, and the Planet: A Climate Change Curriculum to Support Plant-Based Eating in U.S. Adolescentsâ¿ Accepted by IAFOR Research Archive.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Elnakib, S. People, Plants, and the Planet: A Climate Change Curriculum to Support Plant Based Eating in U.S. Adolescents. The IAFOR International Conference on Education. Honolulu, Hawaii. January 2024.
|
Progress 01/15/22 to 01/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience: Goal 1: We have accomplished the major objectives of this goal entirely. We have completed semi-structured cognitive interviews with Three school districts across New Jersey representing different community structures: Newton School District (rural), Paterson School District (urban), and Long Branch School District (coastal). A convenience sample of 41 students was obtained.24.4% (n=10) were 10 years old, 58.5% (n=24) were 11 years old, and 4.9% (n=2) were 12 years old. 51.2% (n=21) were female, 46.3% were male (n=19), and 2.4% (n=1) was of unknown gender. Changes/Problems:The video games that we had intended to develop have taken longer than expected and we hope to have them ready before the student lessons however as of right now they are still being developed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have hired undergraduate and graduate students throughout this project to conduct literature reviews, analyze qualitative interviews and receive training on data collection. Dr. Ethan Schoolman,worked closely with two undergraduate students to review and analyze the literature on climate change curricula available and assess gaps in the literature. Through the analysis of the interviews, a graduate student, along with Drs. Shauna Downs and Sara Elnakib, created two posters highlighting the results of the free listing activities that were included in the interview. These posters were accepted as part of the poster session for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Conference in December 2022. It will be submitted for consideration at various other conferences, providing professional development opportunities for the student workers on this grant.Shannon Barlow, the graduate student, has also received the Werner O' Schilling Endowment Scholarship for her work on this grant. A team of 12 undergraduate and graduate students were trained on January 5, 2023, on the project. Dr. Shauna Downs prepared the students with a presentation of food systems research and plant based eating. Dr. Sara Elnakib trained them ondata collection methods in process evaluations, impact evaluations, and outcome evaluations to prepare for the implementation of the program in the coming weeks. All students performed food waste audits and collected information on inter-rater reliability to ensure accurate data collection. Dr. Ethan Schoolman reviewed the curriculum with the students to prepare them for teaching the program. Dr. Ethan Schoolman will continue to have regular meetings with the students before starting any new lesson to ensure they are prepared to teach it in the 5th-grade classrooms. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The following results have been shared through two posters developed by the PIs and a graduate student and have been shared at theRutgers Cooperative Extension Conference in December 2022. A manuscript is being developed and will be published in a peer reviewed journal. Results: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand drivers of adolescent food choice. The interviews included afree listing activity where we used Smith's Salience (S) Index to identify the most important factors that these fifth-grade students considered when deciding what foods they would choose to consume. Smith's Salience (S) Index utilizes both frequencies of mention and rank of order to determine the most salient terms. This study was approved by the Rutgers IRB.Results of the Smith's (S) Salience analysis indicate food choice factors of taste (0.312) and health (0.268) were the most salient among all 3 schools. Additional factors cited by the three schools as being most salient were friends' opinion and influence (0.089), discipline and family influence (0.128), food preference (0.077), flavors (0.081), price (0.053), texture (0.063), and sport performance (0.061).Results of the Smith's (S) Salience analysis indicate the sustainability factor of picking up litter (0.3069) was the most salient among all 3 schools. Additional factors cited by the three schools as being most salient were animal protection (0.1504), recycling (0.2276), preventing garbage in the ocean (0.1476), throwing away garbage (0.2096), avoiding plastic items (0.0598), energy & water conservation (0.0874), reuse & repurpose (0.1089), and preservation & protection of plants and trees (0.2423). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The primary focus of this upcoming year is to implement the program that has been developed in the three school districts that have been identified and evaluate our impacts. Three types of evaluations are planned. A process evaluation will document the implementation of the curriculum and ensure that the curriculum is implemented with fidelity. The impact evaluation includes a pre and post-test that students will take to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs around climate change and plant-based eating and assess if the curriculum has impacted the students in any way. And finally the outcomes evaluation will include food waste audits in the schools were the team will assess the selection and consumption behaviors of the students both before and after the curriculum is taught.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: We have accomplished the major objectives of this goal entirely. We have completed semi-structured cognitive interviews with Three school districts across New Jersey representing different community structures: Newton School District (rural), Paterson School District (urban), and Long Branch School District (coastal). A convenience sample of 41 students was obtained.24.4% (n=10) were 10 years old, 58.5% (n=24) were 11 years old, and 4.9% (n=2) were 12 years old. 51.2% (n=21) were female, 46.3% were male (n=19), and 2.4% (n=1) was of unknown gender. We then analyzed the results of these interviews and developed research posters which we disseminated to colleagues and other professionals at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Conference in December 2022. We also utilized the results in helping to inform the basis of the curriculum, which will be piloted in the schools this upcoming spring. The curriculum ties in with the NJ climate change education requirements. Goal 2: The objectives of this goal are currently in-progress. We have developed the curriculum that will be utilized in the schools and has developed supplemental information, including videos for each lesson, lesson plans, and PowerPoints. The implementation of this curriculum will begin in January and will conclude in May 2023.
Publications
|