Assessing Food Shopping and Preparation as a Mediating Factor Associated with Healthy Outcomes

Abstract

To understand the relationship of food shopping and preparation of USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) key nutrition messages have on other key nutrition messages, a quasi-experimental design was developed using data from Minnesota’s 2012 SNAP-Ed evaluation system. SNAP-Ed participants attended a series of nutrition education classes delivered by Extension staff along with schools and community-based organizations and completed a retrospective evaluation survey. Correlations were used to assess self-reported changes for the food shopping and preparation key message. Results found that food shopping and preparation key message was significantly correlated with other key messages and mediation association of food shopping and preparation with low-fat calcium-rich foods, limiting added sugar, food safety and increasing physical activity were also significant. Food shopping and preparation key message is relevant when discussing other nutrition concepts and in future program development and research.