Learner-centered nutrition education improves folate intake and food-related behaviors in nonpregnant, low-income women of childbearing age.

Background: Recent studies suggest low-income women of childbearing age may be at risk of suboptimal folate intake.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of learner-centered nutrition education on folate intake and food-related behaviors among nonpregnant, low-income women of childbearing age, compared to education unrelated to nutrition.

Design: Participants were randomly assigned by recruitment site to receive either the nutrition lesson or a control lesson about resource management.

Folate intake and food-related behaviors in nonpregnant, low-income women of childbearing age.

Information about folate intake among low-income women of childbearing age remains limited. This report presents results from a cross-sectional study of folate intake and food-related behaviors in a sample of low-income, nonpregnant women of childbearing age in California. One hundred fifty-seven nonpregnant, low-income ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A "contract for change" increases produce consumption in low-income women: a pilot study.

This study determined whether a "Contract for Change" goal-setting exercise enhanced the effectiveness of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education/Food Stamp Nutrition Education programs to increase produce consumption in low-income (<130% of poverty) women after 4 weeks. Thirty-eight participants were randomized in this three-group parallel arm study: (a) control group participants received life-skills lessons, (b) the education group received the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education/Food Stamp Nutrition Education "Food Guide Pyramid" lessons, and (c) the contract group also received the "Food Guide Pyramid" series and completed a "Contract for Change." It was hypothesized that the contract group would have the greatest increases in advancement toward dietary change and produce consumption.

Erythrocyte folate and its response to folic acid supplementation is assay dependent in women.

Optimizing folate status requires continued monitoring of erythrocyte (RBC) folate and folate intake. The accuracy of RBC folate assays remains a concern. Therefore, we measured RBC folate with 4 different assays, examined the interassay correlations, and compared RBC folate with folate intake as measured by an abbreviated folate-targeted food/supplement screener.

Selecting items for a food behavior checklist for a limited-resource audience.

Objective: To report 6 psychometric properties of food behavior checklist (FBC) items and then to use these properties to systematically reduce the number of items on this evaluation tool.

Design: Random assignment to the intervention and control groups.

Setting: Low-income communities.