Effect Of Myplate Education On Overall Nutritional Knowledge At A Local Food Pantry And Resource Center In Watauga County, North Carolina

Recognizing and meeting the nutritional needs of a food pantry’s clientele may have a positive influence on overall diet and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the interests and needs for nutrition education and to create a sustainable nutrition education program that will increase nutritional knowledge of clients from the Hunger and Health Coalition in Boone, North Carolina. This study used a qualitative approach to creating an education series and examining beliefs and attitudes about self perceived health and nutrition of the rural Appalachian population. There was a statistically significant change (p=0.002) from pre-education knowledge to post-education knowledge using a paired samples t-test, as well as insights to the beliefs and attitudes about self- perceived health and nutrition of the rural Appalachian population. Future research should examine how to encourage participation through use of incentives and how to increase intervention duration to examine effects on health outcomes.