EFNEP and Ventanilla de Salud partnership reaches Latinx and farmworker clients through UCCE Connects to You! Zoom series. Forty-three percent improve food security indicators, contributing to UC ANR's public value of sufficient, safe, and healthy food for all Californians.

The Issue:

The Ventanilla de Salud (Window on Health) is a program that is implemented through 50 Mexican consulates in the United States. The goal of Ventanilla de Salud (VdS) of San Bernardino is to promote health literacy and healthy lifestyle choices, conduct health screenings, and increase access to health care for Latinxs who visit the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino. According to UCLA's Community Health Interview Survey, almost half (46.9%) of Latinxs in San Bernardino County are not able to afford enough food in 2019. VdS engages families by holding a variety of in-person classes and one-time workshops while they wait for appointments. Due to shelter-in-place orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, VdS started providing virtual training and partnered with EFNEP to fulfill the needs for workshops focusing on a healthy diet and physical activity on virtual platforms.

EFNEP and VdS Virtual Class

How UC Delivers:

EFNEP Educator, Roxana Puentes, collaborated with VdS by holding a Facebook Live event to entice over 1000 VdS followers with a glimpse of the healthy recipes, physical activities and nutrition information they would learn if they enroll in EFNEP. The viewers made positive comments and liked the presentation. VdS helped EFNEP schedule and enroll interested participants in the series of four live group Zoom sessions. The participants received a total of 8 lessons, two lessons at a time, sent via mail or email. The lesson topics included physical activity, fruits and vegetables, reading the food label, saving money, managing food resources, food safety, and healthy recipes. Each Zoom session included a 5-minute physical activity break where participants walked, stretched or learned simple resistance exercises using items in their homes. Exercise breaks reinforced concepts learned about the importance of physical activity and gave them ideas to do on their own time. The Zoom sessions provided opportunities for participants to interact and share successes and challenges they were facing feeding children, such as picky eaters, difficulty finding time to cook, unsure what healthier items to choose at the grocery store, and making physical activity a priority. Although over 50 VdS participants participated in the Zoom session each time, 14 people attended the whole series and graduated. At the end of the series, graduates received a certificate and cookbook by mail.

Facebook Live Screenshot

The Impact:

EFNEP serves limited resource families, making food security and food resource management important aspects of the program. According to research in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, food resource management education has been shown to improve food security. At the beginning of EFNEP classes, 43% of class participants said they always lacked money or another way to get enough food for the family during the past month, and 57% said that they ate less so there was more food for the family. After participation in EFNEP, 43% of graduates showed improvement in one or more food security indicators, and 64% showed improvement in food management practices including compare food prices, plan meals, and looking in refrigerator or cupboard and make a list before shopping, which in turn saves money and stretches the food dollar. Additionally, 79% of graduates showed improvement in one or more diet quality indicators such as eating fruits and vegetables more often. About half of the participants reported making small changes to be more active. Overall, EFNEP helped improve living conditions for participants from VdS and contributes to the UCANR public value of promoting healthy people and communities.

Facebook Live Participant Feedback

“Thank you very much for this wonderful workshop. I learn a lot. Grateful.”, EFNEP Participant from Ventanilla de Salud

The UCCE promotes healthy people and communities through an engaging physical activity workshop series where 63 early childhood education professionals reported positive learning experiences and the intention to adopt physical activity practices in early childhood education classrooms.

The Issue

Nutrition education technical assistance training for early childhood professionals create learning opportunities to improve attitudes, knowledge, skills, and practices. However, it is often a challenge to keep up with nutrition and physical activity education training due to the demands of their work schedules. Early childhood professionals who care for children play an essential role in providing age-appropriate physical activity opportunities that promote lifelong health.

How UC Delivers

In 2020, the CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Kings Nutrition Educators Susan Lafferty and Eldon Bueno conducted a fun and interactive physical activity workshop at the Professional in Early Childhood Education Conference organized by West Hills College Child Development Center, Kings County, CA. Participants (n=63) learned to use the evidence-based curriculum, Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH), to increase children's enjoyment and participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity, including extracurricular activities with family and friends. Participants showed positive attitudes and reception for the activities conducted.

Eldon Bueno, CFHL, UCCE Kings Nutrition Educator (standing in the middle) explaining CATCH activities.

The Impact

After completing the physical activity workshop, early childcare professionals reported their current practice and intent to change. Of the 63 participants who completed our intent-to-change survey, 35% (22 of 63) reported not being physically active for at least 30 minutes most days in the past week. Of the 22 participants who had not been physically active, 64% reported that they would be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day more often within the next week. Additionally, open-ended qualitative survey responses indicated participants' positive learning experiences as a result of the workshop, and expressed intent to increase the frequency and quality of their physical activity and their classrooms' physical activity. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2018), regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces the risk of many chronic diseases among children and adults. This intervention fosters healthy childcare environments as part of UC ANR's commitment to promoting health and wellness in the community.

 Participants shared:

“It will help me support our preschool teachers to increase moderate to vigorous activity in our centers.”

“It will help incorporate physical activity into my classroom, not just recess.”

“Learned about physical activity and how to be more physical active.”

“To have more physical activities throughout the day and having a small activity can help my children."

Participants enjoy fun and interactive CATCH activities.

Thirteen participants improved nutrition practices after attending Kern EFNEP workshops with Mexican American Opportunity Foundation partner, contributing to UC ANR's public value of sufficient, safe, and healthy food in our communities.

The Issue

According to County Health Rankings & Roadmap, Kern County has a higher food insecurity rate than the state average at 23.8% versus 18%, respectively. Food insecurity is defined as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources. In addition to issues of food access, almost 74% of Kern County adults are considered overweight or obese.

We know that healthy food access and food preparation skills are key to preventing obesity. Food safety skills are also essential for preventing foodborne illness, which leads to 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year (CDC.gov).

How UC Delivers

To proactively address food insecurity and obesity, the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) collaborated with the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), UCCE Kern County, to provide evidence-based nutrition lessons to adults on an annual basis. MAOF, established in 1963, is a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide for the socioeconomic betterment of the greater Latino community while preserving the pride, values, and heritage of Mexican-American culture. MAOF, EFNEP, and UCCE Kern County staff provided 13 participants with a nine-week class using lessons from the Eating Smart, Being Active (ESBA) curriculum. ESBA is based on the latest research findings from the Dietary Guidelines and Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and offers information on physical activity, healthy lifestyle choices, food preparation, food safety, and food resource management. Participants received vital information that can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

The Impact

Seventy-seven percent of participants showed improvement in one or more food resource management practices (i.e., cook dinner at home, compare food prices, plan meals before shopping, look in refrigerator or cupboard before shopping, or make a list before shopping) and 62% of participants reported having enough money to buy food, which demonstrates improved food security.

All participants improved their healthy lifestyle practices. Significant changes among participants were documented using our Adult Questionnaire Survey, including improvement in one or more diet quality indicators (i.e., eating fruits, red, orange, and green vegetables, drinking less sugar-sweetened beverages and cooking dinner at home; b) 85% of participants showed improvement in one or more their physical activity behaviors (i.e., exercising for at least 30 minutes, doing workouts to build and strengthen muscles, or making small changes to be more active); and c) 85% of participants showed improvement in one or more evidence-based food safety practices (i.e., washing hands before preparing food, washing all items and surfaces after cutting raw meat or seafood, not thawing frozen food at room temperature, or using a meat thermometer), which can lead to a decrease in food borne illnesses, as stated by the CDC. Through this course, MAOF and EFNEP, UCCE Kern County are providing knowledge and skills that extend beyond participants to their entire families, which bolsters UC's public value of healthier families and communities.

“They all [participants] benefit from the information. They are more aware of what they are spending and how they can improve their budget and still eat nutritiously. Some participants have shared they recreated some of the recipes done in class.” - Two MAOF instructors.

These outcomes help UC ANR achieve improved food security and food safety in our communities, and represent the UC ANR's public value of safeguarding sufficient, safe, and healthy food for all Californians.

ESBA curriculum guide for educators shown in Spanish.

https://www.facebook.com/UCCEKernCounty

http://cekern.ucanr.edu/Custom_Program804/

Thirty-two preschool young children of migrant families increased physical activity after participating in program partnership between CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Kern and Las Mariposas Head Start.

The Issue

According to KidsData, Kern County has a food insecurity rate that is higher than the state average at 23.8% compared to California's overall rate of 18%. Obesity rates are also high. Almost 74% of Kern County adults are either overweight or obese. Further, 2018 data from Department of Education Physical Fitness tests indicated that Kern fifth graders overweight or obese rates were 5% higher than the state average at 44.9%.

Kern County also has a large population of migrant families. Las Mariposas Head Start is a state preschool and seasonal migrant head start center located in Delano, California. The seasonal migrant program provides no cost childcare and preschool services to low-income families whose primary income is from agricultural production or harvesting.

How UC Delivers

To proactively address creating health lifestyles, administrators and staff at Las Mariposas Head Start collaborated with CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Kern (CFHL, UCCE Kern) and implemented Coordinated Approach to Child Health Early Childhood Education (CATCH ECE). CFHL, UCCE Kern staff provided teachers with a four hour CATCH ECE training and technical assistance twice per month. Teachers expressed their appreciation for the CATCH ECE Kit and technical assistance indicating that the program helped teachers nourish the love for physical activity in their students.

CFHL, UCCE Kern also provided 55 parents with Plan, Shop, Save, and Cook food resource management lessons. During the lessons, parents are reminded about the importance of physical activity, and are given recommendations based on the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Both the children and the parents receive vital lessons to reduce obesity through physical activity coupled with healthy nutrition.

From October 2019 to August 2020, 32 students received a total of 98.25 hours of structured physical activity using CATCH ECE curriculum. CFHL, UCCE Kern staff also provided five hours of food resource management lessons to parents. Both of the teachers stated they are using CATCH materials during free play to encourage students to stay active. 

Students at las Mariposas ready to start a CATCH ECE activity outdoors.

The Impact

As a result of this program, 32 students increased structured physical activity to 3-5 times per week compared to their initial 2-3 times. Teachers have observed the students increasing their physical activity and the teachers also shared that they have increased their own physical activity. Research has shown that physical activity can provide immediate benefits and reduce the chances of being diagnosed with chronic diseases.  In this way, the program contributes  to improved individual health and the public value of promoting healthy people and communities.

Students performing a CATCH ECE activity inside their classroom.

https://www.facebook.com/UCCEKernCounty