Evaluation of a Nutrition-Based Peer Education Program
Date
1999-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
The Healthy Eating Volunteer (HEV) Program, which began in March 1997, was developed to establish a network of volunteers from the general public with practical skills to promote healthy eating in Saskatoon. The HEV Program set out nine objectives it wished to accomplish in its first year. This research project was framed to evaluate how well the HEV Program met these objectives.
This research study was a program-based, goal-oriented evaluation. Data were collected from: the researcher; the 20 HEVs; the Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre (NRVC) staff; and the users of HEV services. Data collection consisted of interviews with program participants and a review of HEV/NRVC documents.
The HEV Program evolved quite differently from its original plan. As the year unfolded, there was a shift in emphasis away from a peer education program to one that was providing volunteer opportunities in the area of nutrition. The demand for the services of the HEVs was not as great as was originally anticipated and this affected the number and types of projects the HEVs completed during the year. There was a wide variety in the level of involvement by HEVs and program communication to the HEVs.
The planning form sent out to all HEVs in the spring of 1997 turned out to be a key management tool of the program; however, not all HEVs completed it. The HEV Coordinator was a key factor in the successes attained by the HEV Program but the program did not have adequate coordinator support in place to manage all the HEVs.
Even though the HEV Program evolved very differently from how it was first planned, almost all of the subjects were satisfied with the HEV Program. While it can be said that the HEV Program met 3 out of 9 objectives, it did not meet 3 out of 9, and the data were inconclusive for the other 3. The goals and objectives of the HEV Program no longer match the function and activities of the current program and this mismatch makes the results of the evaluation of the HEV Program challenging to interpret.
Description
Keywords
Healthy Eating Volunteer (HEV) Program
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Community Health and Epidemiology