Investing in Oregon's expanded food and nutrition education program (EFNEP): documenting costs and benefits.

Objectives: To apply Virginia's cost-benefit analysis (CBA) model developed for a large Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to Oregon's small EFNEP. To estimate a cost-benefit ratio for Oregon's EFNEP based on retrospective analysis of program costs and optimal nutrition behaviors (ONBs) in relation to potential health-related savings for diet-related chronic diseases/conditions.

Design: Standard components of a CBA.

Subjects/settings: 368 adult graduates of Oregon State University's Extension Service EFNEP during the 1999-2000 program year.

Intervention: Prior participation in the EFNEP with a mean of 10.4 lessons.

Main Outcome Measures: Cost-benefit ratio and several sensitivity analyses.

Analysis: EFNEP program graduates practicing ONBs related to prevention/delay of diet-related chronic diseases/conditions were determined using SPSS (Base 10 computer program). Cost-benefit ratios were computed using Microsoft Excel.

Results: CBA determined a 1:3.63 cost-benefit ratio (in 1999 dollars).

Conclusions And Implications: Virginia's CBA model was useful in the retrospective evaluation of Oregon's small EFNEP. With Oregon's benefits exceeding costs, CBA provides evidence for resource allocation and justification for program continuation.