Chef Charles Newsletter & Instructors Guide
Problem:
Older adults in Iowa, through the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs are
encouraged to participate in congregate meals. Congregate meal managers
are required to provide nutrition education for the participants. Managers
are typically community people that manage the meal and site but do
not have formal nutrition education. The project asks the managers to
volunteer to join the Chef Charles Club and use the nutrition materials
provided through the Iowa Nutrition Network, Iowa Department of Public
Health and Food Stamp Nutrition Education of the USDA to teach nutrition
concepts. In return they receive hard copies of a monthly newsletter
and an instructor's guide to help them meet their nutrition education
requirement.
Extension
Response:
In 2006, for the third year, Susan B. Klein, Nutrition & Health
Field Specialist has continued to contract with the Iowa Department
of Health (IDPH) to write a monthly newsletter and instructor’s
Guide targeted at older adults attend congregate meals sites. In 2006,
senior housing sites also signed up for the program. A bingo card encouraging
physical activity and eating fruits and vegetables with suggested ways
to increase consumption is in the center fold of the newsletter. Both
the newsletters and guides are available on the IDPH website at: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/nutritionnetwork/chef_charles.asp.
Hard copies of the four color newsletters can be obtained by a manager
after reading the instructors guide on line and completing the questions
at the end of the guide. Additionally the managers are encouraged to
down load the instructor's guide and use the suggested activities to
teach nutrition concepts when they distribute the newsletter. The contract
with USDA states the following objectives for 2006:
• Increase by 5% reporting eating 3+ fruits daily
• Increase by 5% reporting eating 3+ vegetables daily
• Increase “feeling able to eat 2.5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily by 3%
• Increase the # of times fruits and vegetables are consumed
• Increase 3% those having greater use of fruits and vegetables for snack
• Increase 5% those reporting they are physically active 30 minutes most days
• Increase by 5% those reporting 2.5 hours of physical activity during previous 4 weeks
• Increase 5% use of meat thermometers, refrigerator storing food promptly, washing hands, and monitoring Refrigerator temperatures.
The contract funds
have also provided money to develop graphics for both the newsletter
and the instructor's guide to give a professional appearance to the
materials. Both the newsletter and guide are reviewed by the IDPH peer
review process before posting at the website and printing of the newsletter.
Impact:
In 2006, 116 congregate meals sites and 2 senior housing sites participated
in Chef Charles from 30 counties (attached is the state map of participants).
At least 3 states (Virginia, Missouri and North Carolina) have asked
permission to use the newsletter & guide with their senior programs.
A pre and post survey evaluating six months of Chef Charles programming
was administered to 1200 potential participants and we were able to
pair 255 of the surveys. The 255 paired surveys are used for reporting.
The surveys came from 29 sites. The 2006 survey instrument was long
(6 pages) and some of the features (recalling frequency of produce consumption)
were confusing. While we did see movement toward our goals, many did
not meet statically relevance. Changes included:
(Blue= increase but not significant, red=decrease and green= significant
increase)
• Eating more fruit (33% to 39%) and vegetables (43% to 44%)
• “Feel able to eat 2.5 cups of produce daily (92% to 88%)
• # of times produce consumed (fruit 3.5% to 4.0% and veggies 3.7% to 3.9%)
• Produce for snacks (fruit 5.6% to 5.2% and veggies 3.3% to 2.5%)
• 30 minutes physical activity daily (52% to 56%)
• Use of Thermometer (28% to 34%)
• Refrigerating food promptly (19% to 23%)
• Washing hands
• Monitoring refrigerators temperatures (46% to 58%)
Another survey conducted with the site managers indicted that only about 50% are using the instructor’s guide. Many more are doing taste testing. The number of learning opportunities per person showed that about equal numbers received 1-4 sessions, 5-8 sessions and 9-12 sessions. A goal for 2007 is to have sites increase the number of sessions to have more opportunity to influence behavior.
• IDPH monthly electronic newsletter features the recipes and nutrition information found in Chef Charles
• USDA website lists Chef Charles as a Nutrition resource
• I spend approximately 10 hours monthly in development and our office (graphic design and set up) spends an additional 6 hours a month on this project.
• A draft of an article for the Journal for Society for Nutrition Education has be written.
• Four of mine nine counties in central Iowa have no Chef Charles programs and I will work with the CEEDs to see if we can use in their counties.
In 2007, the emphasis on consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as food safety will be continued. A message on the need to consume calcium rich foods will also be added.
Contact:
Susan B. Klein
Nutrition/Health Field Specialist
Phone 515-261-4213
Email sklein@iastate.edu
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Last update: February 27, 2007
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