title: New Jersey school nurses' perceptions of school-based, prenatal nutrition education.
abstract: This study used formative evaluation to identify channels and barriers to providing ongoing dietary guidance to pregnant teens in New Jersey. In phase one, 14 health and social service professionals participated in a focus group or interview about nutrition services for pregnant teens. Participants identified school nurses as potential providers of early and continuous dietary counseling to pregnant teen-agers, but delineated barriers to establishments and effectiveness of school-based, prenatal nutrition education. In phase two, school nurses were surveyed to assess their interest in, and perceptions of barriers to, providing nutrition education to pregnant adolescents. Two-hundred fifty-three nurses (71%) returned completed questionnaires. Results indicated that a significant proportion perceived a need for, and were interested in providing, nutrition education to pregnant students. Results from this formative research are being used to guide development of a school-based nutrition education program for pregnant teen-agers in New Jersey.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick 08903, USA.
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Janas
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hymans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D009515:New Jersey; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012573:School Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*