Learning from program participants: Obtaining participant input on service development in an emergency food program

A mixed method study was conducted to assess the utility of adding health-focused obesity prevention programs/services to food distribution sites. A Project Advisory Committee (comprised of service agencies interested in extending services to food distribution sites) led the project. Field surveys and focus groups were conducted with food distribution participants at four community food distribution sites in Chicago. User opinions/suggestions for adding services to distribution sites were gathered. Analysis included Frequencies/Descriptives for survey responses. Focus-group transcripts were coded using constant comparative analysis methods. Results: 317 surveys completed at four distribution sites. Six focus groups held, each attended by 6-15 users. Conclusions: Food-assistance-user households identified healthy eating (HE) goals and connected goals to the health/well-being of household members. Barriers to HE goals included: cost, food preparation knowledge/skills, habit, taste, and household management challenges. Reactions to proposed services were mixed. Survey results supported cooking demonstrations, recipe information, nutrition education, and health screenings. Focus-group participants supported nutritional consulting and had little support for child/youth-focused services (e.g., immunization) and mixed support for adult health-screenings. Implications: Food-assistance programs may find it helpful to join with other community services to find ways to address user-identified needs, especially household organization and parenting/child rearing practices. Users' heavy burden of chronic disease suggests food-assistance programs should assess how to meet specific nutritional needs of chronic conditions. Plans for providing program services have been altered based on project results (e.g., no child immunization services added, rethinking youth services, and the addition of mobile health screening). The findings have led to further research among project partners into parenting aspects of healthy 1 eating and several Advisory Committee members are exploring the potential for collaborative project development around household-based nutrition counseling.