Outreach

Community Nutrition

Outreach programs in community nutrition are aimed to educate communities on the development of healthy lifestyles, particularly improved nutrition and physical activity.  The long-range goal of these efforts are to improve the knowledge and behavior of community members regarding nutrition and physical activity to prevent lifestyle-related diseases and chronic health conditions, and to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of such diseases and conditions. These diseases and conditions include overweight and obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Current projects at Michigan State University that are focused on families with small children include:

The Infant Feeding Study  (TIFS)                            

Several MSU departments have partnered with community programs to develop education for pregnant and new mothers enrolled in Medicaid in the State of Michigan.  The curriculum seeks to integrate nutrition and responsive parenting to help these new mothers develop healthy infant feeding practices. Research has included both new mothers and health care providers (doctors, nurses, Women Infant & Children’s (WIC) division nutritionists and nutrition educators) in the development of the educational curriculum. 

Evaluation of the Breastfeeding Initiative

This on-going partnership between MSU, MSU Extension (MSUE) and Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) seeks to provide on-going research, evaluation and program improvement to the Breastfeeding Initiative (BFI). The BFI is a collaboration of MSUE and the MDCH-WIC division. The program aims to promote breastfeeding among low income women and to provide breastfeeding encouragement and support throughout the first year of the infant's life, or as long as breastfeeding is continued. Mothers with breastfeeding experience are recruited and hired from the community to serve as peer counselors (PCs). PCs are trained to provide WIC and food stamp-eligible women with breastfeeding information, encouragement and support. They are available to see mothers in the home, the hospital, the WIC clinic or by telephone.  From its establishment in 1993 in eight counties, the program has expanded to 30 counties serving over 2500 women and their infants each year.  he program has significantly increased the breastfeeding rates of program participants, compared to the rates for women in Michigan overall.

Focus groups have been conducted with program participants and peer counselors to determine program satisfaction and sources of potential improvement.  Subsequently a survey was developed and sent to participants of one program year to quantify program satisfaction. Currently, a cost-benefit analysis of the program is underway, including evaluating the impact of program participation on Medicaid usage in the state of Michigan.  In addition, an improved evaluation system for the BFI program is being developed.

Contact:

Beth Olson, Assistant Professor
Food Science and Human Nutrition
2112 Anthony Hall
Phone: (517) 355-7713, Ext. 113
Fax: (517) 353-1676
E-mail: olsonbe@msu.edu

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