The Effects of Program Attributes on Behavior Change for Healthy Weight for Healthy Kids Program in Virginia

Since the federal budget for EFNEP is over $66 million, it is crucial to know the effectiveness of program attributes that may bolster its effectiveness. The aim of this study was to determine how effectiveness of Youth EFNEP programs in Virginia is affected by participant, instructional and curriculum attributes for youth enrolled in Healthy Weight for Healthy Kids (HWHK). An ordered probit model was employed to study how these attributes affect dependent variables: Whole Grain, Fruits, Colored Vegetables, MyPlate, and Breathe Hard behavioral scores. The model assessed the probability of a participant having an improved score or improved behavior.

Participant Attributes Results: In general, the chosen variables for participant characteristics consistently reduced the probability of participants having an improved behavior score.

Instructional Attributes Results: African Americans Program Assistants were consistently associated with negative marginal effects on positive behavioral scores with the exception of the positive Breathe Hard behavioral score. Other PA attributes were not consistently associated with any behavioral models but were heterogeneous in terms of their marginal effects on the positive behavioral scores.

Curriculum Attributes results: The curriculum attributes had more positive marginal effects than negative marginal effects across all the five behavioral scores. Attributes that were consistently associated with having a positive marginal effect on behavioral scores were program duration, smart foods lesson, and lesson duration. Other HWHK lessons were not consistent in increasing or reducing the probability of an improved behavior.