It Just Really Clicked: Participant-Perceived Outcomes of Community Nutrition Education Programs

ObjectiveTo understand participant-perceived outcomes of community nutrition education programs by low income adults.DesignA grounded theory approach using qualitative interviews.SettingRural and urban communities in New York State and Pennsylvania.Participants18 current and past participants in nutrition education programs for low income adults.Phenomena of InterestParticipants’ perceived outcomes of community nutrition education programs.AnalysisQualitative analysis derived from the constant comparative method.ResultsParticipants described program experiences in three linked thematic areas: (1) a range of motives for program enrollment; (2) current roles, challenges and resources as program contexts; and (3) participant-perceived outcomes experienced throughout the program that were linked to their motives for enrolling. Short- and medium-term outcomes, especially social outcomes, were important to participants; positive experiences were linked to later behavior change by participants, even among those who did not initially report change.Conclusions and ImplicationsParticipant-perceived outcomes and program satisfaction were linked to enrollment motives and modified by whether participants’ current worlds provided resources to put learning into practice. Participant inputs such as enrollment motives and resources should be included in planning models, assessed at multiple points, matched to expected program outcomes, and used to guide teaching.