Funded Projects

Problem:

There are disparities in health and unmet needs among an increasingly diverse MCH population. Rural residents and people of color experience greater rates of obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease than their more urban and/or white peers and are more likely to live in communities that don't provide access to healthy foods and MCH-specific nutrition services.

Goals and Objectives:

Our program has five goals and 29 objectives. The main goals are: Goal 1: Increase the availability of public health and MCH nutrition practitioners that can meet the needs of diverse MCH populations through the provision of an interprofessional didactic and experiential training program in PHN which focuses on rural and underserved MCH populations and services and integrated systems of care; Goal 2: Improve the capacity of the current and future public health and community nutrition workforce to meet the nutrition needs of diverse MCH populations by providing cutting-edge, evidence-based CE in MCH nutrition; Goal 3: Enhance the capacity of public health and community organizations to meet the nutrition needs of MCH populations through TA and consultation to local, state and national organizations serving MCH populations; Goal 4: Promote the development of future leaders in the MCH nutrition workforce who reflect and are able to meet the needs of the diverse MCH populations they serve; Goal 5: Discover and disseminate new knowledge in MCH nutrition and translate findings into clinical practice guidelines, programs and policies that improve MCH care systems.

Methodology:

Each year we will: 1) train 6 long-, 15 medium- and 120 short-term trainees; 2) provide a MCH nutrition intensive course focused on maternal and infant nutrition; 3) collaborate with 4 other grants to provide the Emerging Nutrition Leaders program; 4) collaborate with 7 other training grants on a research project and trainee exchange program; 5) collaborate with 2 other grants to provide Systems Approaches to Healthy Communities training to trainees and ASPHN DNPAO and Health Equity Interns; and 6) provide technical assistance to local, state and national organizations serving MCH populations, including Title V programs.

Coordination:

We will work with other MCHB-funded training grants on our campus and within HHS Regions 5 and 7, as well as with other MCH nutrition training programs nationally.

Evaluation:

Our program evaluation is guided by a logic model and work plan, and utilizes both qualitative and quantitative process and outcome indicators.