The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67895

Ting Wang, MHS¹, Sharada Shankar, PhD¹, Ann C Klassen, PhD², and Peter S. Houts, PhD³. (1) Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410 955 3291, twang@jhsph.edu, (2) Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, (3) Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, 401 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231-2410

Community-based health intervention program is one of the most effective approaches to reach the low resource populations and to enhance their health-related knowledge and behavior. However, participation and attendance in such programs may vary for various reasons. In a community-based nutrition education program funded by the American Cancer Society, we observed that some participants attended all sessions, while some none at all. The target population was African American women age 20 to 50 residing in public housing in the District of Columbia. The education program consisted of seven sessions over a 10-week period (six sessions meeting twice a week for three consecutive weeks, and a booster session in the 10th week). We conducted focus groups of high, low, and none attenders to determine if their attitudes and experiences were different.

The focus group questions were two fold: barriers and attitudes on participation as well as on attendance. Questions concerning participation included: reasons for giving initial consent of participation, most- and least-liked components of the program, usefulness of information, and attitudes of family members regarding involvement in such program. Questions pertaining to attendance were designed to capture reasons for irregular or non-attendance of classes, such as feelings towards weekly reminders, attendance motivators, and convenience of session days and time. Focus group interviews were read and analyzed using qualitative analytic techniques, emphasizing themes and patterns in response. The responses among high-attendance program participants, low-attendance program participants, and non-program participants will be examined and contrasted.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participants will be able to:
• Identify three attitude barriers to engage African American women in a nutrition intervention program.
• Discuss the differences in program impact between participants with varied attitudes on attendance.
• Apply the principles in their own programs for more effective educational programming.

Keywords: Food and Nutrition, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.