Effects of a fruit and vegetable nutrition education class on self-efficacy and nutrition knowledge in minority participants of a school-based food pantry

Many households that experience poverty also experience food insecurity. Food insecurity has been linked to poor nutrition and increased health problems, including obesity, particularly among minorities. Some research suggests that a lack of knowledge may contribute to the higher rates of obesity in the low-income population. However, the majority of the literature examining the existing nutrition education programs that serve the low-income adult population have not studied participants of a school-based food pantry. The school-based setting is significant because it offers participants a setting in which to gain nutrition knowledge in addition to food assistance. The purpose of this study was to assess if an interactive nutrition education class focusing on fruit and vegetable nutrition and stretching food dollars had a positive effect on nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy in minority participants of a school-based food pantry. A quasi-experimental design was used to test the effects of a nutrition education class focusing on fruit and vegetable nutrition and stretching food dollars on nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy. A convenience sample of 89 low-income adults participated in the study. There was a statistically significant increase in self-efficacy score in the intervention group when compared to the control group (t(87)=1.71, p = 0.046). However, this statistically significant increase in self-efficacy score only applied to participants who took the class in English or who had the English pretest/posttest (t(56)=2.92, p = 0.003)). Moreover, results showed that there was no statistically significant change in self-efficacy (t(26)=-0.89, p = 0.81)) among participants who identified as Hispanic/Latino and who participated in the class conducted in English or who had the English version of the pretest/posttest. The results of the nutrition knowledge showed no significant change in the nutrition knowledge scores between the intervention and control groups (t(89)=0.47, p=0.32)). The findings of this study suggest that a nutrition education class focusing on fruits and vegetables can improve participants' self-efficacy related to fruits and vegetables. However, this finding can only be applied to individuals in this study who did not identify as Hispanic/Latino and who participated in the class conducted in English. In addition, a nutrition education class focusing on fruits and vegetables did not improve the participants' nutrition knowledge of fruits and vegetables. Further research is warranted to study the effects of nutrition education in a food pantry setting on nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy in a large and diverse sample as this setting can offer more than food, but an opportunity to empower participants as well.