Multi-level Barriers for Healthy Eating and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Hispanic Women Participating in a Healthy Eating Intervention: Findings from the Nuestras Comidas Project.

Abstract

As obesity rates rise in the Hispanic community, particularly among children, there is a strong need to develop innovative interventions that effectively address multi-level barriers and increase healthy eating among this population. This study aims to assess the impact of Nuestras Comidas, a short, 8 week pilot program targeting Hispanic women, in changing perceptions of different multi-level barriers and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among participants. Using a pre-/post-test design, responses to pre- and post-intervention surveys were compared for 35 program participants. Results indicate that there was a statistically significant improvement in perceptions around the ability to eat healthy food (mean difference=4.06; p=0.0004), outcome expectations of healthy eating (mean difference=0.77; p=0.0006), other general barriers (mean difference=1.24; p=0.0001), and levels of social support (mean difference=1.43; p=0.0013). Knowledge around dietary recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption (mean difference=0.43; p=0.06) trended toward statistically significant improvement from pre- to post-intervention. Fruit (mean difference= 1.4; p=0.0001) and vegetable (mean difference=1.06; p=0.0004) consumption also had a statistically significant improvement from pre- to post-intervention. The findings indicate that Nuestras Comidas had a positive impact on fruit and vegetable consumption and highlight the needs for innovative, community-based, culturally appropriate interventions to improve healthy eating.