Culturally relevant nutrition education improves dietary quality among WIC-eligible Vietnamese immigrants

To provide culturally appropriate nutrition education to improve the diets of Vietnamese women.

A total of 152 homemakers were recruited to participate in a nutrition education project, with 76 receiving the intervention and 76 serving as the control group.

Non-English-speaking women eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) with incomes below 185% of the poverty level living in 5 California counties.

Bicultural, bilingual Vietnamese-American nutrition education assistants taught 5 to 7 lessons in the Vietnamese language using nutrition education materials written in the Vietnamese language by 2 bilingual, bicultural nutritionists.

Twenty-four-hour food recalls were obtained before and after the 8-week interval on the treatment and control groups.

To examine if there were changes over time in nutrient intake and nutrient density within groups, matched pair t tests were done. Analysis of covariance techniques determined differences between groups. McNemar tests determined if, within groups, there were changes over time in food groups consumed. Chi-square techniques determined changes between groups.

Over time, the number of treatment group participants who had at least one serving from each food group (P <.01), and who had the recommended number of servings from each food group (P <.05), significantly increased in comparison to the control group. Over time, the dietary nutrient density of calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin B6 (P <.05), as well as potassium (P <.01), of treatment group participants significantly improved in comparison to the control group.

With training, bilingual, bicultural women can effectively deliver culturally relevant nutrition education to their peers.