Family Nutrition Project

Project Leader: Lisa Sullivan-Werner

Project Year: 2009

The UMass Extension Family Nutrition Program (FNP) is part of a national nutrition education effort funded through the US Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Assistance Program (SNAP). The overarching goal of FNP is to provide nutrition education programs and activities that help adults and youth eligible for SNAP to establish healthy eating habits and physically active lifestyles.  To achieve this goal, our staff, based at UMass Amherst and in seven field offices (Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, South Hadley, Springfield, and Worcester) will be working in partnership with 48 collaborators throughout the Commonwealth.

All FNP projects are jointly planned and implemented with community partners who devote significant time and resources and are highly invested in the program. University faculty and staff work closely with community agencies, school systems and other collaborators in developing an array of educational workshops, events and materials that are informative and engaging. The resulting statewide program has been consistently   successful at promoting healthy lifestyle choices with regard to food and physical activity.

This project is a part of the Nutrition Education Program

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)

Project Leader: Lisa Sullivan-Werner

Project Year: 2009

Rates of obesity and poor nutrition continue to increase for both adults and children in the United States. This is especially prevalent among low-income populations, as parents frequently turn to calorie-dense but low-nutrient foods when family food resources are limited. Eating habits that are formed during childhood are critically important as the lay the groundwork for future patterns that can affect lifelong health. Families need guidance to get the most nutrition from their limited resources in order for their children to grow and thrive.

The Massachusetts Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is part of a national effort to improve the nutrition and health of low-income families with young children. The program identifies individuals from target communities who are recruited and trained to deliver nutrition education to small groups of families for 2 to 4 months. Educators teach with a special understanding of the lifestyles, food-ways, and challenges that families face and in a language they understand. Project staff use a creative curriculum that engages participants in group discussions, cooking demonstrations, food tasting, music, fun physical activities, and other hands-on learning. Staff are based at UMass Amherst and in five field offices across the state (Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Springfield, and Worcester).

This project is a part of the Nutrition Education Program

Food Safety

Project Leader: David Nyachuba

Project Year: 2009

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has estimated that foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and more than 5,000 deaths each year in the United States. The highest rates are among young children, adults who have a weakened immune system, older adults, and pregnant women. These illnesses also cost the United States billions of dollars in health care costs as well as significant losses in worker productivity. The UMass Extension Food Safety Project helps to prevent and reduce the risk of foodborne illness by targeting both consumers and producers.

The Food Safety Project helps consumers to avoid foodborne illnesses through the widespread dissemination of information concerning the safe handling and preparation of foods, food allergens and other food safety issues.  The program also targets food service workers and provides training to teachers and students in schools through workshops and educational presentations. Food producers (especially fruit and vegetable growers) also receive training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and are encouraged to develop and implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems.

This project is part of the Nutrition Education Program

Tween POWER - Preventing Obesity through Wise Expenditures of Resources

Project Leader: Jean Anliker

Project Year: 2009

Childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades for children aged 6-19.  Many factors at the individual, family and environmental levels contribute to this trend, including the prevalence of low-cost, high-calorie foods and beverages readily available in stores and fast food restaurants. At the same time, marketers for these products are spending billions of dollars to appeal to young audiences, who are just beginning to make their own decisions in the marketplace. 

Unfortunately, obesity education and prevention programs that target adolescents have traditionally shown only limited success. Extension professionals at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are therefore working with Nutrition and Public Health faculty on an innovative approach to promote healthy eating and physical activity using the context of power. Adolescents identify sources of power in their lives and through discussions come to recognize that good health is the source of all power. When they exert their power (e.g. by spending time or money), they can make choices that bring power back to them in the form of strength or nutrition; the choices are theirs. Each of the session includes hands-on learning experiences, music and physical activity, simple recipes and foods to taste, and group discussions for discovery and fun.

Tween POWER has included:

1. Interviews and focus groups with western Massachusetts adolescents to learn about lifestyle habits and what would make a fun and effective after-school program
2. Developing and pilot testing the SPIN (Strength and Power In Nutrition) dialogue-based curriculum (including an original theme song, written, performed, and recorded by adolescents). SPIN is grounded in health behavior theories and is the first curriculum  based on a commercial marketing model designed for adolescents.
3. Testing the program to see if SPIN makes a difference in adolescents' diets, physical activities, and consumer decisions.

Tween Power is now in the final phase which entails analyzing outcome data, preparing manuscripts for publication, developing a SPIN website, and disseminating the program.

This project is a part of the Nutrition Education Program