Biomedical subjects

Donna B Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to Donna B Johnson.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Testing the recommendations of the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan: the Moses Lake case study.

BACKGROUND: The Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan provides a framework in which policy makers can work together to build and support healthy environments for nutrition and physical activity. The city of Moses Lake, Wash, was chosen to serve as a pilot site to test the conceptual approaches and recommendations of the plan and to develop a model for healthy communities elsewhere in the state. CONTEXT: Moses Lake is an ethnically diverse, geographically isolated town with a population of about 15,000. METHODS: An advisory committee used data from an inventory of local policies and environments, along with the recommendations from the state plan, to develop a plan for Healthy Communities Moses Lake. Three initiatives were chosen for the first actions: a connected system of trails and paths, enhanced facilities for breastfeeding in the community, and a community garden. CONSEQUENCES: Records of cumulative actions demonstrated that Healthy Communities Moses Lake continued to be an active and productive project. Initial measures of success were collected by each of the three first action teams. Environmental changes will be monitored by comparison with the initial inventory of local policies. Long-term health outcomes in Moses Lake will be monitored by the Washington State Department of Health. INTERPRETATION: Healthy Communities Moses Lake was successful because the city had leaders and volunteers who were committed to making the city a healthier place. Lessons learned about community-based planning and evaluation are now being applied to Healthy Communities initiatives.

Community Health Services↗

PubMed2006

A framework for developing evaluation tools used in Washington State's Healthy Communities projects.

Washington State's Healthy Communities pilot projects were developed to test approaches and recommendations of the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan and to provide a statewide model for implementation. The Healthy Communities program included plans for ongoing process evaluation to ensure implementation. Two years into the first project, however, the evaluation team recognized that data for evaluation were inadequate to explain the experiences of the pilot community partnership. The team sought a framework through which to better understand how the community partnership functioned, including what worked well and how guidance and technical assistance could best be provided. The evaluation team identified the community health governance model of Lasker and Weiss through a literature search and applied this model to existing Healthy Communities project evaluation data. The team also designed a new survey tool based on the model and used it in the second pilot community. The new tool provides feedback to community partners to help guide project implementation and tests the applicability of a theoretical model to public health practice.

Health Education↗

PubMed2006

Preventing obesity: a life cycle perspective.

Traditional approaches to treating overweight and obese adults by focusing on individual weight loss have not been effective in stemming the tide of obesity in the population. Recent research has identified critical factors that, as they accumulate and interact over an individual's life span, may put a person at risk for obesity. These factors include rapid weight gain in infancy and childhood, early puberty, and excessive weight gain in pregnancy. Based on this research, a life cycle perspective can be used to develop comprehensive interventions that address the multiple determinants of obesity. Because obesity tracks across generations, it is essential to adopt effective obesity prevention measures now to prevent even higher rates of obesity in future generations. Dietetics professionals can reduce individual risks by providing nutritional services that support appropriate weight gain in childhood and pregnancy. We can also advocate for policies in communities, schools, and worksites that support breastfeeding, ensure access to health-promoting foods, and provide opportunities to be physically active.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake in homebound elders: the Seattle Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Pilot Program.

INTRODUCTION: Diets that are high in fruits and vegetables lower an individual's risk of chronic disease and contribute to healthy aging. Homebound seniors often have low intake of fruits and vegetables and limited access to fruits and vegetables with the most protective nutrients and phytochemicals. From June through October 2001, the Seattle Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Pilot Program delivered bi-weekly market baskets that included a variety of fresh, locally grown produce to 480 low-income Meals on Wheels participants. The purpose of this study was to determine if the program increased fruit and vegetable intake in individuals who received the baskets. METHODS: One hundred basket recipients were recruited to complete a telephone survey before and at the end of the farmers' market basket season. Fifty-two low-income homebound seniors who lived outside the project service area were recruited to serve as control respondents. Fruit and vegetable intake was determined with modified versions of the 6 fruits and vegetables questions in the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System. RESULTS: Seniors who received the baskets reported consuming an increase of 1.04 servings of fruits and vegetables. The difference between the mean servings in the seniors who received the baskets compared to the controls was 1.31 (95% CI, 0.68-1.95, P < .001). At baseline, 22% of the basket recipients were consuming 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, but by the end of the season, 39% reported consuming 5 or more per day. CONCLUSION: Home delivery of fruits and vegetables is an effective way to increase fruit and vegetable intake in homebound seniors.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Qualitative assessment of participant utilization and satisfaction with the Seattle Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Pilot Program.

INTRODUCTION: The Seattle Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Pilot Program delivered fresh fruits and vegetables to homebound seniors in King County, Washington, from June through October 2001. A primary objective of the program was to increase participants' intake of fruits and vegetables. A qualitative study was conducted to examine the impact of the program on participating homebound seniors. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were performed with 27 participants in their homes to identify benefits and barriers they encountered and to measure their use and sense of satisfaction with the program. RESULTS: Analysis of the transcribed interviews revealed several common themes: Participants appreciated the variety and quality of the fresh fruits and vegetables. Some participants would not have had access to fresh fruits and vegetables without the program. Home-delivered baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables brought participants joy, stimulated interest in healthy foods, and improved quality of life. The program newsletter supported consumption of fresh produce. CONCLUSION: Program success was rooted in the multiple ways the program addressed potential barriers and reinforced behavioral intent.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Promoting family meals in WIC: lessons learned from a statewide initiative.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in Washington State developed a module to be used at local WIC agencies to promote family meals. Needs assessment and formative evaluation ensured that the module met the needs of WIC staff and clients. The Promoting Family Meals module includes background information on family meals, tools for training WIC staff, outlines for group sessions, handouts tailored to each client's stage of change, children's coloring sheets, bookmarks, banners, and posters. After the first 6 months of use, there was a statistically significant (F = 26.17, df = 3, P < .001) increase in family meal participation in intervention agencies as compared to controls.

Eating↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Statewide intervention to reduce television viewing in WIC clients and staff.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a statewide campaign that was designed to reduce television viewing by clients and staff of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Television reduction is frequently recommended as a strategy for preventing pediatric overweight. METHODS: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 10,445 clients and staff who attended clinics during a 3-week period before the intervention and 9188 clients and staff who attended clinics after the intervention. Chi-square tests were used to compare the proportion of WIC clients watching television 2 or 3 hours per day before and after the intervention. Within the context of WIC, which is a large and complex public health program, it was not possible to measure individual exposures or response rates. RESULTS: At baseline, 64.2% of WIC clients reported watching 2 or less hours of television per day. After the intervention, 70.5% limited television viewing to this recommended level. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to deliver television-reduction messages in large public health programs.

Health Promotion↗