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Authors:

Amir Alakaam, PhD, RDN, LDN, MBChB
Madeline Lett, MPH, BSN
Hailey Puckett, MPH
Katherine Kite, BSPS

Objective:

Many socioeconomic factors can influence the consumption of a nutritious diet. To uncover factors influencing nutrition habits in North Dakota, we implemented a community-based nutrition education program.

Methods:

The program consisted of 6 educational sessions at a farmer’s market in North Dakota. We collected data through a questionnaire to assess individuals’ demographic information, health conditions, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutrition knowledge (N = 290). We analyzed the data using descriptive, chi-square, and one-way ANOVA analysis.

Results:

Overall, 37% of participants had a 4-year college degree, 20% had a master’s degree, 18% had a high school degree, and 17% had a 2-year or vocational degree. The chi-square analysis indicated a statistically significant correlation between education level and health condition (p = .010) and average total fruit and vegetable intake (p = .020). Participants with a higher level of education had fewer chronic disease diagnoses and ate more fruits and vegetables. The one-way ANOVA indicated a statistically significant relationship between education and nutrition knowledge (p < .001).

Conclusions:

Individuals with higher nutrition knowledge may have healthier eating habits and better health outcomes. Future nutrition education programs are needed to improve health equity and the population’s overall eating habits.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 9, Number 1, January 2022, pp. 636-644(9)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.9.1.2