National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference 2024

The Impact of Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) on Fathers and Families: Collaborative Insight from the SC Center of Fathers & Families
 
Sharneece Gary | Myeesha Lance | Dr. Tarana Khan
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report showed that in 2022, 34.8% of adults in South Carolina were overweight, and 35% were obese. The National Fatherhood Initiative found that children with absent fathers are twice as likely to suffer from obesity than their counterparts. ‘EFNEP’ aims to assist limited-resource families to improve their nutritional health and well-being. With shared commitments, EFNEP and The SC Fathers and Families program formed a one-stop center to empower fathers to change their behavior and overcome life obstacles.
 
 Recognizing a father's ability to provide and serve as a role model for their children, EFNEP and the SC Centers for Fathers and Families embrace a holistic and comprehensive approach to supporting fathers in every phase of their lives. The evidence-based EFNEP program, ‘Eating Smart Being Active’ (ESBA), was tailored to meet the needs of the participants in four core areas: Diet quality and Physical Activity, Food Resource Management, Food Safety, and Food Security. The ESBA program highlighted the key messages from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate initiatives. The teaching techniques in ESBA were based on ‘Adult Learning Theory’, where the focus was on the learner and the learning.
 
 
139 fathers were reached and revealed substantial progress, with 96% graduating, 92% improving diet quality, 88% in food resource management, 69% in food security, 40% in food security, and 62% in physical activity.
 
The dialogue-based, learn-by-doing approach of EFNEP allowed all participants to gain the practical skills necessary to make positive behavior changes.