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Community nutrition programme improves eating habits
An evaluation of a community-based nutrition programme targeting lower socio-economic groups across Northern Ireland shows that it has achieved positive results in improving the health and wellbeing of participants.
The Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) programme, Cook it! improved both diet and confidence in cooking.
The evaluation found that nearly twice as many people reported eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day at the end of the programme (22%) compared to before Cook it! (12%) and 8 out of 10 people described their eating habits as better at the end of the programme than over the previous three months.
Eighty four percent of participants considered themselves more confident about cooking and 63% reported that Cook it! had helped improve their overall level of confidence.
Laura Donnelly, Regional Cook it! Officer at the HPA, said: “Nearly 6 in 10 adults and more than a quarter (26%) of children aged 2 to 15 years in Northern Ireland are overweight or obese and the fact is that people from lower socio-economic groups die younger and experience more ill health than those in higher income groups.1,2 Research also indicates that people in lower socio-economic groups feel less informed about healthy eating, tend to eat less of the foods recommended for better health and also experience most difficulties in making appropriate dietary changes.3
“This is why programmes such as Cook it! provide a vital support for those who may not feel able to put the messages about healthy eating into practice in their daily lives. The results to date prove that the programme has been very successful in promoting positive behaviour changes related to shopping, cooking and eating as well as increasing participants� self-confidence.”
During the six week course important changes were found in individuals´ eating habits. Following Cook it! there was an almost 50% decrease in how often processed meats were consumed which continued to decrease when participants were questioned again nine months after Cook it! A considerable reduction was noted in how frequently during an average week people had fried foods, sweets, biscuits, crisps and fizzy drinks and these improvements had been maintained when participants were revisited nine months after the course.
The programme provides hands-on practical experience of cooking and preparing food as well as educating groups on the importance of a balanced diet. It has been delivered to a variety of groups including young mothers, youth groups, the visually impaired, people with learning disabilities, travellers, homeless people and older people in sheltered accommodation.
END
Notes to the editor
Cook it! has been funded for three years by the Big Lottery Fund.
A full report on the evaluation will be available in autumn 2007 from:
www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk
For media enquiries contact:
Rosie McGaughey at the HPA on Tel: 028 9031 1611.
1. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Health and Social Wellbeing Survey. Belfast: NISRA, 2006.
2. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Investing for health. Belfast: DHSSPS, March 2002.
3. Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland. Eating for health? A survey of attitudes, awareness and eating habits among adults in Northern Ireland. Belfast: HPA, 2001.
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