Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

3-1983

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major Professor

Jane R. Savage

Committee Members

John T. Smith, Jack S. Ellison, Marjorie P. Penfield

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document the effectiveness of 4-H foods and nutrition projects and demonstrations in increasing the food and nutrition knowledge and improving the eating habits of boys and girls in North Carolina. A food and nutrition knowledge test consisting of 30 true-false questions was administered and a 24-hour food recall was taken from 208 youth ages 15-18. Questionnaires were designed to identify non 4-H'ers and 4-H'ershaving completed various numbers of foods and nutrition projects and demonstrations. Demographic data collected included age, gender, location of residence (urban versus rural) and race.

Youth who had completed the most 4-H foods and nutrition projects and participated in the foods and nutrition demonstration program (Group I) scored higher at the .05 level on the food and nutrition knowledge test than did other youth. The mean knowledge score of youth in Group I was 24.73 * 3.56, significantly higher than the mean score of youth who had completed at least three foods and nutrition projects but never had given a foods and nutrition demonstration (Group II)—20.82 - 4.41. Group II youth also scored significantly higher on the test of food and nutrition knowledge than Group III youth who were members of 4-H but never had completed a foods and nutrition project or demonstration—18.00 - 3.91. And, the mean food and nutrition knowledge score of Group III youth was also significantly higher than the mean score of 15.22 - 5.52 of non 4-H youth (Group IV). The SAS-PROC FUNCAT statistical procedure indicated the significant differences that existed among all groups in food and nutrition knowledge were not influenced by differences in demographic composition of groups.

Comparison of dietary adequacy among groups was assessed by two methods: by chi-square analyses; that is, examining the extent to which youth in each group met or exceeded two-thirds of the 1980 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for kilocalories, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C as well as testing for statistical differences at the .05 level in actual energy and nutrient intakes that existed among groups.

Chi-square analyses showed that significant differences existed between Group IV and Groups I, II and III with respect to the extent that youth in each group met or exceeded two-thirds of the 1980 RDA for energy and all nutrients except calcium and vitamin C. In the cases of calcium and vitamin C, no statistical difference was found among groups as to the proportion of youth in each group consuming adequate and inadequate intakes. A higher proportion of non A-H members (Group IV) was found to consume inadequate intakes of kilocalories, protein, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin than did 4-H youth (Groups I, II and III). When comparing the nutrient intakes of 4-H youth who had completed various numbers of foods and nutrition projects and demonstrations, insignificant chi-square results were reported with the exception of niacin. A significantly larger proportion of 4-H youth in Group III consumed less than two-thirds of the RDA for niacin than did 4-H youth in Groups I and II. The SAS-PROC FUNCAT statistical procedure indicated that the significant differences in energy and nutrient intakes that existed between Group IV and Groups I, II and III were independent of the demographic composition of groups.

In addition to examining nutritional adequacy versus inadequacy among groups, tests of statistical difference in actual nutrient intakes among groups also were employed. In all cases, Group IV (non 4-H youth) consumed fewer kilocalories and nutrients analyzed than did youth in Groups I, II and III (4-H youth) , with the exception of calcium.

No correlation was found between the age of 4-H youth and their level of food and nutrition knowledge. Slight but insignificant correlations were found between age and nutrient intake and between level of food and nutrition knowledge and nutrient intake.

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