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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Paula Carney, PhD, RD, Department of Health and Safety Sciences, University of Tennessee, 1910 Andy Holt Ave., Knoxville, TN 37996-2710, 865.974.5041, pzemel@utk.edu and Betty Greer, PhD, RD, Agricultural Extension Service, University of Tennessee, 119 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville, TN 37996-4501.
The purpose of the Rural Educational Access to Computers and Health (REACH) program is threefold: 1) provide residents of two rural, mountainous counties in East Tennessee with web-based nutrition education programming, 2) develop a technology infrastructure to enable rural, low-income adults access to computers and the web, and 3) determine the effectiveness of the REACH program. The project included three phases: needs assessment and community involvement; program and technology infrastructure development; and training, implementation and evaluation. Five agencies collaborated in this project. The REACH program consists of 6 web-based modules that enable participants to assess their behaviors, set goals, and gain knowledge and skills needed to adopt and maintain a health diet and lifestyle. Interactive activities help participants overcome or avoid the factors that may prevent adoption and maintenance of a healthy diet. Participants review their progress toward goals at subsequent sessions. Nine user sites received networked computer classrooms to enable rural, low-income adults to gain computer skills and access the web. This innovative nutrition education delivery method extends the efforts of county Extension professionals by allowing the community to access educational programming anytime. The state Extension specialist trained staff at the nine sites, who subsequently implemented the program. Youth volunteers in the 4-H program also conduct ongoing computer literacy training for participants and staff. Participant responses were stored in a database so they can review and monitor their own progress. This database also enables REACH program developers to evaluate effectiveness of this delivery system.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Nutrition, Communication Technology
Related Web page: www.reach.utk.edu
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The REACH Program is a free service offered by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.