Date of Award

1986

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent to which dietary behavior changes were made by the EFNEP participants in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, and whether or not they were retained after they were graduated for six months but less than one year. Data were obtained by personal interviews conducted by paraprofessional nutrition aides on the 208 homemakers who participated in the EFNEP during 1983-86. The 24-hour dietary recall instrument was the basis upon which homemakers' diets were evaluated. The dependent variable in this study was the mean difference in dietary scores at three different points in time (entry, graduation, and post-graduation) as evaluated by the 24-hour food recall instrument. The independent variables which were compared with the dietary score were age, family size, income, participation in assistance programs, and educational level. The data show that the 208 homemakers in this study made statistically significant dietary behavior improvements during the two years of enrollment (1983-85). The data also show that the homemakers retained their improved dietary behavior at a statistically significant level after graduation (6-12 months). However, where dietary change was compared with age, family size, income, educational level, and participation in assistance programs, there was found to be no statistically significant relationship. On the basis of the findings in this study, the EFNEP in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, 1983-86, was effective in improving the dietary behavior of low-income homemakers and that the improvement was statistically significant.

Pages

81

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.4184

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