NI26EFNEPXXXG075

Project Summary / Abstract

Project Title: Delaware State University Extended Food and Nutrition Education Program

Institutional Category: 1890 Land Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-10514-EFNEPXXX-23-0001

A. Project Director (Include Institutional Affiliation for Each): Dr. Verona Mulgrave, PI, DSU

B. Partner Institutions: None

C. Provide a Very Concise Summary.

The Delaware State University Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (DSU-EFNEP) aims to address critical nutrition-related challenges among low-income adults, youth, and children across Delaware, including obesity, food insecurity, and poor food safety practices.

According to the Delaware Department of Public Health, in 2021, 33.9% of adults were classified as obese and 34.9% as overweight, while the 2014 Delaware Survey of Children's Health reported that 14.7% of children ages 2-17 were overweight and 20.9% were obese.

Additionally, approximately 99,530 Delaware residents experience food insecurity, including 30,040 children.

To help mitigate these health disparities, DSU-EFNEP will deliver evidence-based nutrition education and implement policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) interventions to promote sustainable behavior change.

Program activities will include direct education over an 8-week period using evidence-based curricula to teach healthy eating, food resource management, food safety, and physical activity.

Efforts will align with USDA-NIFA EFNEP priority areas by improving diet quality, increasing physical activity, enhancing food safety practices, and reducing food insecurity.

The program will serve families, including mothers, pregnant teens, caregivers, and youth ages 8-15, through partnerships with schools, community centers, faith-based organizations, public housing authorities, and other community entities.

Deliverables will include improved participant knowledge, behavior changes in nutrition and food safety, and environmental enhancements at partner sites that support healthy lifestyles.

Expected outcomes include measurable improvements in dietary habits, physical activity levels, and food security among participants, contributing to the long-term reduction of chronic disease risk within Delaware's low-income populations.

Subrecipient activities will include collaboration with local community partners to expand program reach and ensure equitable access to EFNEP resources across the state.

Delaware State University

NOT APPLICABLE

10.514 - Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition (IFSN) [USDA - NIFA]

Dover, Delaware 19901 United States

Single Zip Code

USDA-NIFA-10514-EFNEPXXX-26-0001