Abstract
Early during the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, Utah experienced high rates of infection and death forcing rapid modification to government-funded nutrition education program delivery across the state. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded government program that provides financial assistance for supplemental food purchases to limited income partcipants. It also provides nutrition education (SNAP-Ed) through Utah State University (USU) Extension, a partner institution. USU Extension coordinates with community organizations to deliver nutrition education using a SNAP-Ed evidence-based curriculum, Create Better Health (CBH). Adhering to state health directives to reduce disease transmission, government funders endorsed Create Better Health curricular adaptations needed to offer classes virtually to low-income and diverse audiences with limited English skills. The nutrition education classes were taught in English, Spanish, and Somali. Lessons in the curriculum were culturally and linguistically adapted for Spanish-speaking Latino immigrants and Somali refugees. We discuss the cultural adaptations of the CBH curriculum and the successes of virtual delivery using Facebook Live and Zoom. We also share best practices for government and community collaboration, virtual delivery of nutrition education including recruitment strategies, culturally appropriate content, participant engagement, and use of tools for program evaluation. Lastly, we review data collection and findings regarding curriculum learning outcomes comparing across the three language groups.
Presenters
Celina WilleExtension Assistant Professor, Applied Sciences, Technology and Education, Utah State University, Utah, United States Habiba Nur
Student, NDFS, Utah State University, Utah, United States Abiodun Atoloye
Assistant Professor, Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, Utah, United States Casey Coombs
Assistant Professor, Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences , Utah State University , Utah, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
COVID-19, NUTRITION EDUCATION, REFUGEES, LOW INCOME, IMMIGRANTS, PANDEMIC
