title: A Primary Care-Based Early Childhood Nutrition Intervention: Evaluation of a Pilot Program Serving Low-Income Hispanic Women.
abstract: Nutrition in early childhood can significantly impact physical and mental health outcomes for children. However, research on broadly defined pre/postnatal nutrition interventions is sparse. The present study is a process and outcome evaluation of a primary care-based nutrition intervention targeting low-income Hispanic women. Pregnant women enrolled in the program were in their first trimester and received services through their 6-month well child check. The program provided vouchers for fruits and vegetables from the local farmers' market, nutrition classes, cooking classes, and lactation counseling. We conducted a prospective study of program participants (n = 32) and a comparable group of women for whom the program was not available (n = 29). Panel survey data measured maternal diet, exercise, stress, depression, social support, infant feeding practices, and demographics. Outcome measures obtained from medical records included pregnancy weight gain, infant weight at 6 and 12 months, and infant development at 9 months. Findings reveal that the program was not associated with infant weights. However, despite similar profiles at baseline, women in the intervention group were more likely than women in the comparison group to have significant improvements in diet, exercise, and depression (p ≤ .05). In addition, participants were more likely to breastfeed (p = .07) and their infants were more likely to pass the ages and stages developmental screen (p = .06) than women in the comparison group. The study was limited by a lack of random assignment and small samples. However, the breadth and size of the effects suggest pre/postnatal nutrition interventions integrated into primary care warrant additional investigation.
authors: Sociology Department, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA. tw15@txstate.edu.
authors: Toni Terling
authors: TT
authors: Watt
authors: People's Community Clinic, 2909N. IH-35, Austin, TX, 78722, USA. LouisA@austinpcc.org.
authors: Louis
authors: L
authors: Appel
authors: People's Community Clinic, 2909N. IH-35, Austin, TX, 78722, USA. veronical@austinpcc.org.
authors: Veronica
authors: V
authors: Lopez
authors: People's Community Clinic, 2909N. IH-35, Austin, TX, 78722, USA. biancaf@austinpcc.org.
authors: Bianca
authors: B
authors: Flores
authors: Sociology Department, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
authors: Brittany
authors: B
authors: Lawhon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000208:ethnology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Early childhood nutrition; Hispanics; Primary care