Integrating Food Rx With Best Feeding Practices With EFNEP

Integrating Food Rx With Best Feeding Practices for Chronic Disease Prevention Among EFNEP Participants

To assess feasibility and acceptability of of integrating Food Rx and Best Feeding Practices with EFNEP participants via a pilot study.

The purpose of the pilot study is to test the FFYF feeding curriculum material and procedures for implementation, staff training, recruitment, and data collection.

The intervention site staff will implement the ESBA-FFYF feeding curriculum in classes using standardized implementation protocols.

Four intervention site staff will implement the ESBA-FFYF feeding curriculum in classes using standardized implementation protocols. Two of the four intervention sites will also participate in the Food Rx program. The control group sites will receive the existing ESBA curriculum. All program materials will be available in English and Spanish. Study participation will be maintained via weekly phone calls/text messaging by the Extension staff. For the online feeding practices content, participants will receive messages to visit the project website and watch the videos, participate in online activities, and engage in facilitated online discussions. For the Food Rx arm, participants will receive a 'Food Rx' card for bi-weekly redemption of ~30 lbs of fresh produce, plus whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy at a co-located Houston Food Bank food pantry. The prescription will be eligible for redemption every two weeks for 3 months, for a total of 6 redemptions.

Inclusion Criteria: Living in Harris or Fort Bend counties being a parent of a child 4-8 years old ability to speak in English or Spanish have ready access to a telephone have access to the Internet with a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, or a desktop computer Exclusion Criteria: parents of children with disabilities and/or those on prescription medications that affect weight and/or appetite parents who are not able to complete self-report questionnaires