Lessons in a box make a difference for head start youth

Abstract

The poster outlines research on the health education implications of targeted nutrition lesson plans at Head Start programs in South Central Minnesota. The Head Start program in Mankato and University of Minnesota Extension collaborated to deliver and evaluate a nutrition education program directed to preschool children and their families. The goal was to improve the healthy eating patterns/preferences, physical activity and knowledge of health promoting behaviors among participants. The evaluation was conducted to determine whether the added nutrition components enhanced children’s healthy eating habits. The health and nutrition program ‘Lessons in a Box’ included several educational components. The main component was the Head Start children receiving nine interactive lessons related to health and nutrition; these lessons were delivered once a month. The lessons were led by Community Nutrition Educators (CNE’s). The topics of each lesson included: Germs and Handwashing; MyPyramid; Keeping Foods Safe; Fruits and Vegetables; Protein; Dairy; Grains; Physical Activity; and Eating Healthy Snacks. These topics were selected in consultation with the Head Start Nutrition Advisor. Each lesson lasted 20 minutes. The second component involved determining potential areas of concern based on the pre-assessment and prescribing relevant beneficial pamphlets of didactic information to the parents. While the target population was preschoolers, parents completed the pre-post assessments on behalf of their children. The results show significant shifts towards better eating and healthier BMI percentiles. The results suggest that the “Lessons in a Box” are especially beneficial for Head Start youth who may not already be in the healthy category.