Healthy Eating: Every Day!
Healthy Eating: Every Day!
Healthy Eating: Every Day!
CONTENTS Introduction Methods Logic model Port Townsend community Health and nutrition indicators Port Townsend Public Library Healthy Eating survey Strategies Collection Programs Online resources Community support Evaluation & Future References Toolkit 15 16 17 18 19 20 Appendix 1 3 5 6 8 9 11
The Port Townsend Public Library Healthy Eating Every Day program plan was prepared by Carol Cahill, MLS. Development of the plan was supported by a grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine/Pacific Northwest Region. For more information, please contact Theresa Rini Percy, Library Director, 360-344-3054, tpercy@cityofpt.us
Introduction
Many of the leading causes of illness and mortality are related to what we eat. For example, obesity is considered one of the most pressing health concerns in the United States today, and rising obesity rates in this country are primarily caused by our eating habits.[1] Other health problems associated with poor diet include diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. With nearly ubiquitous access to energy dense prepared foods and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, people are consuming more calories than they burn, and their health is at risk as a result. Children are particularly vulnerable, because the effects of overweight can have lasting health consequences. To counter this trend, learning about better choices for healthy eating is a key strategy outlined in Healthy People 2010[3]. Over the past five years, there has been a growing awareness of how environmental factors influence the ability to purchase and consume healthy foods. For example fresh fruits and vegetables are considerably more expensive than are foods high in fat and calories. Researchers at the University of Washington note that people living low income neighborhoods are at greater risk of obesity and other health problems associated with a high-calorie, low-nutrition diet.[4, 5] Too frequently it seems that the poor get diabetes, while the rich get local and organic.[6] Nonetheless, there are encouraging changes taking place: Northwest food banks are beginning to install cold storage in order to offer fresh produce[7], and legislation supporting increased schoolchildrens access to locally grown foods has been introduced in the current session. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, one of the leading forces in the fight against the growing prevalence of obesity, has identified four food environments that affect healthy eating, one of which is information environments.[8] In their role as community information spaces, public libraries are a key resource for improving knowledge of nutrition, food purchasing and preparation, and for raising awareness about political and environmental factors that influence healthy eating choices.
If Americans are to meet the objectives of Healthy People 2010, librarians must be health advocates in their respective communities by partnering with like-minded agencies and organizations. In this way, librarians contribute to the greater good of the nations health.[2]
The Port Townsend Public Library Healthy Eating Every Day! plan outlines implementation of a library-based nutrition awareness program. The plan describes local needs and assets and identifies strategies for contributing to the health of the community. These strategies draw upon the librarys inherent strengths and call for joining forces with community partners such alliances are essential if the library is to have a role in reaching public health goals.[9] The plan will continue to evolve over time, as new community needs emerge and new partnership relationships develop. A Healthy Eating Every Day! toolkit is appended to the plan; the companion electronic version will be a resource for library staff to use in program planning and implementation.
Methods
The Healthy Eating Every Day! plan was developed by collecting data from secondary sources, interviewing key informants, surveying the community, and compiling information on innovative approaches to promotion of healthy eating. Data collection activities include the following:
Gathering demographic and health status data from the Office of Financial Management, Jefferson County Public Heath, the Office of the Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Department of Health; Interviews with the Port Townsend Public Library director and library staff; Interviews with potential community partners, including the WIC program, the local Food Stamp office, and the Food Coop; Assessing existing library resources, including collections and online resources; Conducting a community survey web-based, with paper copies available to determine information interests and knowledge needs; Determining strategies for program implementation; Recommending methods of evaluating program success.
The library has developed four focus areas for its Healthy Eating Every Day! program and four main strategies for implementation:
Program Goals
Children & Teens: Increased knowledge of how to make choices for healthy eating Adults: Increased ability to make healthy eating a daily habit Community: Increased awareness of policies, issues and trends affecting choices for healthy eating and improved recognition of the public library as a key resource for health information Library: Increased capacity to provide services and that support healthy eating choices
Strategies
Collections: Expanded print collection in areas of high consumer interest including easy-to-prepare healthy recipes, fruit and vegetable gardening, cooking that addresses particular health issues (low-fat, low-salt, food allergies), and consumer choices that support environmental health as well as personal health. Programs: Library-based programs for both adults and children with cooking demonstrations as a core component; community programs on issues related to nutrition policy; programs featuring authors of books related to healthy eating, including 2009 Community Read. Online resources: Update of library staff knowledge of health and nutrition reference resources; public workshops on searching high-quality resources such as MedlinePlus; development of Web 2.0 tools, including wikis and social bookmarking. Community support: Distribution of materials that promote library resources related to local health and nutrition services; presentations to community groups; programs on local cable-access TV. A conceptual map or logic model of the Healthy Eating Every Day! program is on the following page.
Logic Model: HEALTHY EATING EVERY DAY! Port Townsend Public Library
FOCUS
NEEDS
RESOURCES
STRATEGIES
EVALUATION
IMPACT
CHILDREN & TEENS INFORMATION How to prepare easy, healthy meals for children How to purchase and prepare low-cost healthy foods Growing fruits and vegetables Cooking for health conditions Sustainable food production KNOWLEDGE How to find and use high quality online health and nutrition resources How to evaluate health and nutrition information Environmental and societal factors affecting healthy eating LIBRARY Staff Volunteers Collections Computers Databases Program space COLLECTIONS Expand print collections in topics related to healthy eating PROGRAMS Cooking demonstrations Author programs Topical programs Community Read Teen writing Childrens reading COLLECTIONS Materials added Circulation Turnover rate Increased knowledge of how to make choices for healthy eating
PROGRAMS Program attendance Surveys assessing changes in knowledge or attitude ADULTS Increased ability to make healthy eating a daily habit
ADULTS
PARTNERS Food Coop Farmers Market Health Department DSHS Schools NNLM/PNR
COMMUNITY ONLINE RESOURCES Staff training Public workshops Web 2.0 tools ONLINE RESOURCES Staff post-training survey Public postworkshop surveys Database & other online usage statistics COMMUNITY SUPPORT LIBRARY Materials distributed Interviews with local partners Web surveys Increased capacity to provide services and resources that support healthy eating Increased awareness of healthy eating issues and trends Improved recognition of the public library as a key resource for health and nutrition information
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUNDING Operating budget Friends of the Library Government grants Foundation grants Corporate grants Community donations Flyers, bookmarks and recipes to distribute in community Talks to community groups PTTV
LIBRARY
Port Townsend is the seat of Jefferson County and its only incorporated place. Current population is estimated at 8,865. The city is growing at a somewhat slower rate than the remainder of the county 6.4% from 2000 to 2007, compared with 9.9% for the unincorporated areas. Most of the countys population growth in the future is projected to result from net migration, particularly as more people retire to the area. While the greatest percentage growth will occur among those of retirement age, the largest segment of the county population will continue to be middle-aged adults, as shown in Chart 1.
Chart 1
2000 2015
Port Townsend median income is somewhat higher than in adjacent rural areas, but much lower than in the relatively wealthy community of Port Ludlow, 20 miles south. In 2000, an estimated 31% of city residents had income below 200% of poverty, which is the threshold of eligibility for many public health and food assistance programs. Cost of housing in the area has been growing at a much higher rate than wages, and the housing affordability gap gets wider every year.[10] The Port Townsend community has long been resistant to the establishment of chain-store retail outlets, including fast food franchises, of which there only a handful. The city has two supermarkets, both of which are making an effort to feature organic goods, and a thriving Food Coop. Established in the early 1970s as an outgrowth of food conspiracy bulk food purchasing groups, the Food Coop has continued to grow, and features organic fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products including locally grown and produced foods. The Coops member outreach coordinator is working with teachers and students at both Grant Street Elementary School (which has a student vegetable garden) and Port Townsend High School, and she will be a key resource for implantation of Healthy Eating Every Day. In fact, buy local is something of a mantra in Port Townsend residents are frequently exhorted to patronize locally owned businesses. The popular Farmers Market, which takes place on Saturdays in the same neighborhood as the library, offers a diverse selection of nutritious foods from a number of local farms, bakeries and a creamery.
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Around 43% of children enrolled in the Port Townsend public schools are eligible for the free and reduced-price lunch program.[14] According to the Healthy Youth Survey, in 2006, one-quarter of Jefferson County 8th and 10th graders were overweight or at risk for overweight. Two-thirds reported eating breakfast the day of the survey, but only 28% said they eat the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day. The proportion of schoolchildren that ate dinner with their families most or all of the time was 80% among 6th graders compared to 60% of 10th graders.[15]
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Chart 2
Source: Washington State Dept. of Health 6th grade: not all Q's asked; 12th grade response too low to report
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Table 1
PTPL Print materials per capita Circulation per capita Turnover rate (circulation/holdings) Reference transactions per capita Public computers: % of time in use Source: Washington State Library 6.4 25.6 4.0 1.3 97%
Over the years, the library has offered many innovative programs and services, including development of special collections in health and parenting, establishment of a Maritime Resource Center, and digitization of historic issues of the Port Townsend Leader. It was one of the first small libraries in the state to offer wireless Internet connectivity to users. The library has a history of promoting access to quality health information, and was the first public library in the U.S. to join the National Networks of Libraries of Medicine. Chidrens programs are particularly popular, and there are two book baby lapsit story times each week, as well as special story hours for wobblers (age 1-2) and another for older toddlers. In addition, there is a weekly teen writers group. The library is often featured in special articles in the local weekly, the Port Townsend-Jefferson County Leader. Other venues for library news and features are a monthly newsletter included with city utility bills, the Friends of the Library newsletter, and a regular slot on the local cable television station, PTTV. In 2007, the library received a marketing grant from the Washington State Library and developed a new logo and brochure; recently a second rack card with information on online databases was produced. The librarys web site is under the banner of the City of Port Townsend web site, www.cityofpt.us/library. Outreach activities include Books for Babies packets distributed to parents of newborns with books, music CDs and information about library services for young families, monthly delivery of materials to day care
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centers, and Books on Wheels, a delivery service for shut-ins. One of the most popular programs the library has ever offered is an annual Community Read, which includes author appearances, special events, and book discussions in a variety of community venues. Port Townsend Public Library is an independent municipal library, and depends on the citys general fund for its annual budget. In May of 2007 the library was forced to cut hours, due to failure of a utility tax ballot measure. Beginning in January 2008, the library is charging $3.00 for interlibrary loans to cover shipping costs. Approximately 80% of library program funding comes from the Friends of the Library, with 10% of from grants and another 10% from local funding or in-kind contributions. Special appeals, such as a bake sale in conjunction with a cookbook author program, supplement the regular materials budget.
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Chart 2
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In terms of online resources for health information, Google is by far the most popular, both for finding information and as the place to go to begin a search. Library subscription databases and National Library of Medicine and other government resources were cited much less frequently, especially as a first source. The most common other response was the Mayo Clinic web site. In addition, 15% of respondents do not use the Internet at all for finding health information.
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Chart 3
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In order to gauge interest in potential program topics, the survey asked how important various considerations are in choosing food to eat at home, and what topics patrons are interested in learning more about. It is apparent that health considerations are very important, and that there is high interest in learning more about eating locally grown food, fruit and vegetable gardening, and cooking for health. Both library staff and social service agency staff confirmed the interest in learning more about time-saving, economical, and healthy meals and snacks, particularly among parents of young children. In particular, people are interested in recipes: Young parents are always tired they need information that is easy, available and can be read quickly.
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Chart 4
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Chart 5
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Strategies
Healthy Eating Every Day! strategies are intended to benefit children and teens, adults, the community at large, and the library itself. Lifelong eating habits begin in childhood, and parents help shape healthy eating choices. For this reason, initially the library plans to reach children and teens primarily through their parents. Adults can certainly benefit from support in making healthy eating a daily habit, through information in books and periodicals, programs, and guidance in finding and evaluating online information. The first round of programs and services will be targeted mainly at middle-aged adults, both because they are the largest segment of the population and, based on web survey responses, the most likely to be engaged in nutrition awareness. Healthy eating is about more than individuals changing their behavior. Opportunities for making healthy eating choices are influenced by many environmental and political factors and the implementation of local, state and federal health policy depends in part on raising community awareness. Port Townsend residents are well educated and politically aware, and the library is frequently a venue for programs about contemporary social issues such as food politics. As a result of implementing the various strategies outlined below, the library intends improve its role as a trusted resource for health information and to increase its capacity to support healthy eating, every day in Port Townsend. Each strategy is accompanied by one or more tools, located in a planning and evaluation toolkit appended to the plan. Collections The library currently has owns over 13,000 adult nonfiction titles, of which nearly 300 are cookbooks; 54 of those are in the cooking for health classification. Around adult 1,200 titles are on health topics, including 70 focused mainly on nutrition and diet issues. Recently the youth services department undertook a major upgrade of its parenting resource center, including several books on healthy snacks and cooking with children. In some cases, library materials are considerably out of date. For example, in the area of gluten-free cooking, most of the recently published cookbooks, while available to Port Townsend library patrons via the CLAN shared catalog, are owned by Jefferson County Library. One of the books currently in the Port Townsend collection was published in 1982! Strategy: Identify healthy eating topics and compile collection profile; research and identify titles to purchase; discard outdated materials Toolkit: Collection Evaluation Template, Planning & Evaluation Template
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Programs A key resource for implementing Healthy Eating Every Day! will be the member outreach coordinator at the Food Coop. She is very interested in working with the library in co-sponsoring programs, and sees the library as an intimate, story-telling space. The outreach coordinator is very involved with local schools, taking advantage of opportunities to reach families that may not be Coop members. With the high level of overlap between library users and Food Coop members, working together will offer all sorts of possibilities for programs with a healthy eating theme. Whenever the Coop sponsors an event, there is an element of education, making it a perfect partner for developing library programs. Studies have shown that learning to cook is a very effective way of building healthy eating habits [16-20]. Currently the Food Coop is offering a series of cooking demonstrations in its own facility, and it may be possible to duplicate some of those demonstrations at the library. Considering the level of patron interest in ethnic cooking, the library could offer a series of programs around the theme of Eat Around the World 98368, featuring healthy recipes from various cultures. Author programs are central to the librarys mission of encouraging reading and supporting the quest for knowledge. One of the key strategies will be programs featuring authors of cookbooks and other healthy eating topics. In addition library plans to feature a book about some aspect of healthy eating for its 2009 Community Read. The librarys youth services staff is deeply committed to supporting families. Healthy snacks are often a part of preschool story times. A recent story hour about pancakes including samples for the young audience generated a letter of appreciation to the local newspaper![21]
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Strategy: Plan a series of thematic programs that match patron interests and needs identified by community agencies, including cooking healthy food on a budget, eating locally, and the slow food movement. Plan a series of author programs, and when possible, offer samples of foods featured in cookbooks. Select a title and plan events for the Community Read 2009. Explore ways of incorporating healthy eating themes into existing programs for children, including the summer reading program. The teen writers group could take on researching recipes and producing a cookbook of its own. Toolkit: Planning & Evaluation Template, Funding Resources Guide, Budget Planning Template Online resources Currently the library subscribes to 30 online reference databases covering a variety of topics. The library links to these and other core resources on the Reference Desk section of its web site. Top-level health links include the InfoTrac Health and Wellness Resource Center and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) MedlinePlus and PubMed databases. Considering the publics heavy reliance on Google for finding online health information, promotion of library-sponsored resources is an important strategy. Consumers are aware of the link between nutrition and health, and increasingly are using the Internet as a source of information without always knowing how to discern what is reliable and what is questionable.[22] Many of the nutrition web sites that are found via search engines can be aesthetically appealing and easy to navigate, but provide inaccurate information.[23] Studies have shown that young people in particular are impatient online searchers and spend little time evaluating web information, and that Medline Plus can be an effective tool for educating students (and others) about finding health and nutrition information. [24, 25] Library staff expressed great interest in offering workshops for the public in using its featured online reference resources, including MedlinePlus. A first step is to update staff skills via in-person or online workshops offered through the NLM regional office (http://nnlm.gov/pnr/training/classes.html). The library will also need to periodically review and update database and subject links on its web page. The library staff has recently been exploring implementation of social networking or Web 2.0 capabilities. Reference desk staff maintain individual delicious (http://del.icio.us) Internet favorites files. In November
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2007 a University of Washington Information School student presented the various Web 2.0 options to staff, generating a high level of interest and enthusiasm. Strategy: Plan a series of one-hour public workshops for library patrons on how to find and evaluate quality health and nutrition web sites, including effective search techniques. Consider offering a similar one-hour workshop for high school students during health class. Create a Delicious Library social bookmarking web site that is featured on the library home page, with links to best resources bundled in various healthy eating topics. Develop a recipe wiki that both staff and patrons can contribute to. This effort will probably require outside resources for designing the site and occasional consultation with a local dietician for recipe review. Toolkit: Planning & Evaluation Template, Funding Resources Guide, Budget Planning Template
Community support Recipes are in high demand this is confirmed by the library staff, the WIC program coordinator, and the patron survey. The WIC monthly newsletter always includes a recipe, and the WIC coordinator has expressed interest in distributing library information that supports healthy eating for families (for example, a booklist with the new items in the parenting collection). The library staff also viewed printed recipes (and food samples!) as a way to promote the librarys healthy eating resources. When individuals food assistance cards are activated they receive a 20-page booklet with tips on healthy eating and food shopping. The head of the program indicated that the office is already inundated with print material, and that a separate library brochure would get lost in the shuffle. One possibility worth exploring is a bookmark with library information that could be inserted in the food assistance booklet. Other outlets for community support and promotion of the librarys healthy eating resources include videotaping of programs for broadcast on PTTV, having library information available at the Farmers Market, and speaking engagements at community meetings such as the Chamber of Commerce.
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Strategy: Design and create a series of recipe bookmarks that can be handed out at the library and through various community agencies, including the WIC program and the Food Bank. Videotape author and thematic programs for broadcast on PTTV. Feature a healthy eating book and recipe in issues of the City newsletter that is mailed to all utility customers. Toolkit: Planning & Evaluation Template, Funding Resources Guide, Budget Planning Template
Future
As the library continues to assess community needs and use of its resources, - and continues to develop community relationships new priorities will be identified and new strategies developed. For example, reaching out to senior citizens will be more important as the population ages, and there is a need for resources in Spanish for a growing Hispanic population. Another potential project is to engage teens in mapping the local food environment. Through its Healthy Eating Every Day! initiative, the Port Townsend Public Library will be able to demonstrate how libraries are key resources for community health.
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References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Bleich, S., et al., Why is the developed world obese? National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series, No. 12954., 2007. Spatz, M.A., Building community bridges for health: consumer health librarians as health advocates. Library Trends, 2005. 53(3): p. 453-456. U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2010. http://www.healthypeople.gov/. Drewnowski, A., C.D. Rehm, and D. Solet, Disparities in obesity rates: analysis by ZIP code area. Soc Sci Med, 2007. 65(12): p. 2458-63. Monsivais, P. and A. Drewnowski, The rising cost of low-energy-density foods. J Am Diet Assoc, 2007. 107(12): p. 2071-6. Winne, M. The poor get diabetes, the rich get local and organic. AlterNet [online periodical] 2008, January 9 http://www.alternet.org/environment/72417/. DeLuna, R. New approaches to battling chronic illness, part 2. KUOW [radio program] 2008, January 8 http://www.kuow.org/defaultProgram.asp?ID=14100. Bazzare, T., Resource opportunities in the fight against childhood obesity, in Healthy Schools Summit 2005, Action for Healthy Kids: Washington, DC. Ottoson, J.M. and L.W. Green, Community outreach: from measuring the difference to making a difference with health information. J Med Libr Assoc, 2005. 93(4 Suppl): p. S49-56. Jefferson County Health and Human Services. Health of Jefferson County. 2003 http://www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/pdf/2003_Health_of_Jefferson_County.pdf Washington State Department of Social & Health Services. Clients and Services by County for each DSHS program. 2006 http://www.dshs.wa.gov/rda/research/clientdata/2006/organisation/default.shtm Washington State Department of Health. Jefferson County WIC facts. 2006 http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/WIC/materials/reports/2006/jefferson06.pdf Washington State Department of Health. Births: Body mass index by county of residence. 2006 http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehsphl/chs/chsdata/birth/download/bir_b6.xls Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Public Schools Free and Reduced - Price Applications. 2007 http://www.k12.wa.us/ChildNutrition/pubdocs/FreeReduced/Nslp086Report.xls Washington State Department of Health. Healthy Youth Survey. 2006 http://www3.doh.wa.gov/HYS/ASPX/HYSreports.aspx Beets, M.W., et al., Using hands-on demonstrations to promote cooking behaviors with young adolescents: the Culinary Camp summer cooking program. J Nutr Educ Behav, 2007. 39(5): p. 288-9. Keller, H.H., et al., Men can cook! Development, implementation, and evaluation of a senior men's cooking group. J Nutr Elder, 2004. 24(1): p. 71-87.
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18. Wrieden, W.L., et al., The impact of a community-based food skills intervention on cooking confidence, food preparation methods and dietary choices - an exploratory trial. Public Health Nutr, 2007. 10(2): p. 203-11. Larson, N.I., et al., Food preparation by young adults is associated with better diet quality. J Am Diet Assoc, 2006. 106(12): p. 2001-7. Brown, B.J. and J.R. Hermann, Cooking classes increase fruit and vegetable intake and food safety behaviors in youth and adults. J Nutr Educ Behav, 2005. 37(2): p. 104-5. Kudos to our librarians [letter to the editor], in Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader. 2008, Jan 16. Nitzke, S. and J. Freeland-Graves, Position of the American Dietetic Association: total diet approach to communicating food and nutrition information. J Am Diet Assoc, 2007. 107(7): p. 1224-32. Sutherland, L.A., et al., Unraveling the web: an evaluation of the content quality, usability, and readability of nutrition web sites. J Nutr Educ Behav, 2005. 37(6): p. 300-5. University College London. Information behaviour of the researcher of the future. 2008. Rankins, J., et al., Impact of a low-intensity pedagogical model for integrating MedlinePlus exercises into middle school nutrition lessons. J Med Libr Assoc, 2007. 95(4): p. 388-93.
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The Healthy Eating Every Day! plan was made possible by a grant from the National Networks of Libraries of Medicine/ Pacfic Northwest Region, 2007.