Current ProjectsEat Well, Eat Local, Eat Together Campaign Every week during October 2008, we’re featuring one meal in local media and grocery stores in participating communities. In addition, health and nutrition educators in local communities will include Eat³ information in their nutrition education programs. Please visit the Eat3 website for additional information on the campaign. “Babies Are Born to be Breastfed” Social Marketing Campaign in Herkimer County The “breastfeeding awareness initiative” in Herkimer County was intended to provide an environmental change that improves the cultural acceptance of breastfeeding. Through a coordinated social marketing approach, the Partnership utilized existing promotional billboards promoting breastfeeding (“Babies Are Born to Be Breastfed”) with accompanying posters with the same message in various community sites (i.e. grocery and drug stores); mailings to area businesses to promote breastfeeding through “Babies to Work” policy; radio PSA (60 seconds) and a TV PSA (30 seconds previously developed) promoting breastfeeding; breastfeeding education and promotion information packets mailed to health, family and consumer science teachers, and school nurses; breastfeeding promotion materials mailed to OB, pediatric and family practice providers; and public forum on breastfeeding to encourage acceptance of breastfeeding in the community. This effort maximized existing resources through a workable collaboration that was economically feasible since all resources were already produced. Partnership members volunteered their time and resources to make the project work. Promoting breastfeeding is directly aligned with goals of the Healthy Start Partnership to promote healthy weights in childbearing women and their infants and will provide a model for replication in other counties in the Partnership. Increasing the Awareness of Physical Activity Opportunities in Chenango County In Chenango County, the Healthy Start Partnership’s current goal is to increase awareness of physical activity opportunities in the county. To accomplish this, a brochure is being developed that includes a directory of all physical activity opportunities, the contact information and detail on what can be done at each location, as well as, a labeled map to coincide with the physical activity opportunities directory. Prior to the distribution of the brochure, interviews are being conducted to collect information on residents’ current behaviors and beliefs regarding physical activity. The brochure is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2007. A follow-up survey is also planned that will allow us to measure the influence of the intervention. The optimal result will be if the residents learn about new areas where they can be active, take advantage of this new knowledge, and increase their physical activity. Breastfeeding Awareness, Physical Activity and Healthy Snacks Promoted in Delaware County In Delaware County, the Healthy Start Partnership’s goal is to promote healthy weights in childbearing women and their infants. The partnership has completed a survey of WIC participants and healthcare professionals to prioritize exercise, healthy eating and environmental changes that are needed for Delaware County to reach this goal. A Physical Activities Guide was developed to promote healthy activities available in Delaware County. Included is a detailed map of the county with phone numbers and website addresses to simplify locating these opportunities. Information on calories burned during exercise and other helpful hints for pregnant women were added to encourage change. So far, these guides have been distributed through the Delaware County WIC program and Delaware Opportunities. In addition, a snacks brochure was created to use with the physical activity guide. This guide informs women who are pregnant, about the healthy amounts of food that they should consume. A listing of serving sizes, snack ideas and recipes for both mom and children are included. The partnership participated in a WIC sponsored Breastfeeding Walk on Tuesday, August 7th in Delhi. To encourage the breastfeeding initiative, the “Babies are born to be breastfed” promotional billboard was placed on Rt. 10, Delhi, to coincide with World Breastfeeding Week. The following month, the Delaware County WIC office used another promotional breast feeding billboard. An informative brochure entitled “The Benefits of Breastfeeding” was completed and distributed on August 7th. The event was publicized and participants received a partnership magnet, brochures, healthy snacks and information on the Healthy Start Partnership project. The partners sponsored a well-attended educational breastfeeding training for health care providers, nurses and human services agencies in October. Their future goals include connecting with healthcare professionals and planning a breastfeeding campaign. Building the Capacity of Medical Offices to Encourage and Support Breastfeeding In Madison County, Healthy Start Partnership members aim to increase access to breastfeeding supports for new moms by enhancing resources and information available to them in the offices of health care providers. The goal is to create an office environment that will provide better support to patients via the encouragement as well as the practical support of breastfeeding. Partnership members will visit to all of the Obstetric, Family Practice and Pediatric providers in the county with a half hour lunchtime presentation during which current research on the benefits of breastfeeding will be shared, information will be provided on referrals, and offices will be encouraged to select one “breastfeeding champion” per practice. Each ”champion” will be offered a full day of training based on the “Loving Support Through Breastfeeding Peer Counselor” training curriculum, in addition to a resource book to take back to the practice. Supplementary Nutrition Education in WIC The nutrition education materials that had been shown to be effective in a clinical setting with low-income pregnant women* were pilot-tested in WIC programs in three counties: Madison, Herkimer and Otsego. These materials include a health checkbook and five prenatal newsletters. Each newsletter has tips and an activity to help women gain an appropriate amount of weight in pregnancy, eat well and be physically active in this pregnancy and beyond. The topics covered in the newsletters are:
Pregnant women are encourage to set goals related to each topic and to monitor their own weight gain in pregnancy. Results from the evaluation that is still in progress suggest additional modifications to the materials. The modifications are underway. The modified newsletters and Gain Tracker Card will be available under Project materials in the upcoming months. * See Olson CM et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004;191:530-536. |
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