Mississippi Communities for Healthy Living: Implementing a nutrition intervention effectiveness study in a rural health disparate region.

Background: Intervention research in rural, health disparate communities presents unique challenges for study design, implementation, and evaluation. Challenges include 1) culturally appropriate intervention components, 2) participant recruitment and retention, 3) treatment cross-contamination, 4) intervention delivery and data collection, and 5) potential measurement reactivity.

Purpose: The purposes of this paper are to 1) detail the methods of the MCHL study and 2) report baseline demographic characteristics of study participants.

Using the RE-AIM Framework in formative evaluation and program planning for a nutrition intervention in the Lower Mississippi Delta.

Objective: Identification of prominent themes to be considered when planning a nutrition intervention using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework.

Design: Qualitative formative research.

Setting: Women's social and civic organizations in the Lower Mississippi Delta.

Energy density, nutrient adequacy, and cost per serving can provide insight into food choices in the lower Mississippi Delta.

Objective: To compare differences across food groups for food cost, energy, and nutrient profiles of 100 items from a cross-sectional survey of 225 stores in 18 counties across the Lower Mississippi Delta of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Methods: Energy, nutrient, and cost profiles for food items were calculated by using Naturally Nutrient Rich methodology and converting price per 100 g edible portion to price per serving. Foods were grouped into 6 food groups.