Publication Date

2022

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Muzaffar, Henna

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

School of Health Studies

Abstract

Background: The Whole-Body Approach (WBA) is a program created by Northern Illinois Food Bank in partnership with Northern Illinois University (NIU) Nutrition and Dietetics Graduate students and faculty. This program has been delivered over the course of six years to various food pantries around the Northern Illinois area and modified in response to participants’ feedback. The topics that are discussed throughout the program include stress management, relationship with food, mindful eating, healthy body image, and enjoyable movement. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was adapted to a delivered via text messages for Northern Illinois Food Bank My Pantry Express (MPX) participants who registered. A year following the conclusion of the pilot text program, the WBA program was delivered in-person (IPG) for the first time in two years since the onset of the pandemic. The IPG program was delivered to members of the Winnebago Community Market, one of the many pantries served by the Northern Illinois Food Bank, in Rockford, Illinois. The purpose of this research was to assess the effectiveness and appeal of delivering a text message-based program regarding concepts related to Health at Every Size™ (HAES) for Northern Illinois Food Bank members in comparison to the same program being taught in-person.

Methods: In this study, 156 Northern Illinois Food Bank MPX participants registered to join a free ten-week, non-diet WBA text message program which was offered in English and Spanish. For the IPG, 19 participants registered for the program with a maximum capacity of 20. The program was taught only in English. The text message WBA program started in February 2021 and concluded in the beginning of April 2021. The IPG class was delivered to Winnebago Community Market members a year after the text message program from February 2022 to April 2022. Text messages were delivered using Simple Texting web interface. The IPG met in a classroom at the Winnebago Community Market every Thursday from 11:00AM – 12:30PM CST for ten weeks. Pre- and post-survey data were analyzed for improvements from pre- to post-survey separately for each program. Post-intervention scores of both programs were compared to each other to assess if there was a difference between the two groups on outcome variables. Paired samples t-test or an independent samples t-test was used to compare baseline and follow-up outcome measures in participants who completed both the pre- and post-surveys for both programs.

Results: Of the 156 participants who registered for the TMG, 100 completed pre-surveys (mean age 48 years, 89% female) before the beginning of the program. Over the span of 10 weeks, researchers retained 109 participants and 20 completed post-surveys (median age 53.5 years, 96% female). The ecSI 2.0 had a significant change (p = 0.008) in internal food regulation and overall eating competence (p = 0.02). Participants did not significantly increase their overall self-efficacy or motivation for physical activity (p > 0.05). For the IPG, 14 participants completed the pre-survey. After the conclusion of the program, the researcher collected 9 total post-surveys. At the conclusion of the IPG, participants had significant improvements from baseline in eating attitudes (p = 0.019), internal food regulation (p = 0.018), overall eating competence (p = 0.012), and self-efficacy (p = 0.005). There was not a significant change in motivation for physical activity. The IPG had a significantly different score from the TMG at the end of the program. There was a significantly different post-intervention score between the two programs for eating attitudes (p = 0.007), food acceptance (p = 0.030), internal regulation (p = 0.030), eating context (0.032), overall eating competence (0.006), and motives for physical activity (0.004).

Conclusion: The 10-week virtual pilot text message nutrition education intervention for mobile food pantry users did not significantly improve exercise motivation and self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable-related behaviors. However, the IPG did have significant improvements in food acceptance, internal regulation, overall eating competence, and self-efficacy. There were also significant differences within the post-survey scores between the two programs for all variables of overall eating competence and motives for physical activity.

Extent

111 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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