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Telephone and Face-to-Face Interviews with Low-Income Males with Child Care Responsibilities Support Inclusion as a Target Audience in SNAP-Ed

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Abstract

Federally funded nutrition programs mostly target females. Changes in family dynamics suggest low-income men have an important role in food management responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to inform nutrition education program planning to meet needs of lower-income males. Cross-sectional telephone and face-to-face interviews. Stratified random sample of men (n = 101), 18–59 years of age, with child care responsibilities, living in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and a convenience sample of adult males (n = 25) recruited from lower income venues. (1) Scripted telephone interviews about health status, eating behaviors, eating competence, food security, technology usage and topics and strategies for nutrition education. (2) In-person cognitive interviews during review of selected online nutrition education lessons. Nutrition education topics of interest, preferred educational strategies, influences on and barriers to intake, eating competence, critiques of online program content, graphics, format. Bivariate correlations, independent t tests, one-way analysis of variance or Chi square, as appropriate. Thematic analyses of cognitive interviews. Of telephone interviewees, 92.1 % prepared meals/snacks for children and 54.5 % made major household food decisions. Taste was the greatest influence on food selection and the greatest barrier to eating healthful foods. Topics of highest interest were “which foods are best for kids” and “how to eat more healthy foods.” Preferred nutrition education strategies included online delivery. Online lessons were highly rated. Interactive components were recognized as particularly appealing; enhanced male centricity of lessons was supported. Findings provided compelling evidence for including needs specific to low-income males when planning, designing, and funding nutrition education programs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of Christine Least, MS RD with data collection and management. Funding provided by the PA Department of Public Welfare (DPW) through the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education TRACKS, as part of USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Social Science Research Institute of the Pennsylvania State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2 Hot Metal Street, Suite E290, Pittsburgh, PA, 15203, USA

    Jodi Stotts Krall

  2. The Pennsylvania State University, 302 Chandlee Lab, University Park, PA, USA

    Patricia Wamboldt

  3. The Pennsylvania State University, 205 Chandlee Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Barbara Lohse

Authors
  1. Jodi Stotts Krall
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  2. Patricia Wamboldt
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  3. Barbara Lohse
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Correspondence to Barbara Lohse.

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Krall, J.S., Wamboldt, P. & Lohse, B. Telephone and Face-to-Face Interviews with Low-Income Males with Child Care Responsibilities Support Inclusion as a Target Audience in SNAP-Ed. J Community Health 40, 448–456 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9955-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9955-2

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