COMMUNITY-BASED NUTRITION EDUCATION FOR HISPANICS

THIS PHASE I PROJECT IS TO SERVE AS A FIRST STEP IN INTRODUCING A COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY COOKING OF TRADITIONAL HISPANIC FOODS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PHASE I PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A "COMMUNITY COOKBOOK." FOCUS GROUPS WILL BE USED TO ASSESS INTEREST IN LEARNING HOW TO MODIFY CURRENT COOKING PROCEDURES TO CREATE HEALTHIER MEALS AND TO DETERMINE THE GROUPS' PERCEPTION OF THE DIFFICULTIES LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN CHANGING THE WAY THEY NOW PREPARE FOODS. RECIPES AND PREPARATION METHODS WILL BE OBTAINED FROM GROUP MEMBERS. THESE RECIPES WILL BE REVIEWED, ANALYZED, MODIFIED, TESTED AND RETURNED TO THE GROUP FOR TESTING. STUDY PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RECRUITED FROM TWO HISPANIC ORGANIZATIONS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. IN PHASE II, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM USING SOCIAL MARKETING THEORY.