Project Number: 6251-51000-008-58
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jun 01, 2009
End Date: Sep 30, 2013

Objective:
The mission of the Delta Obesity Prevention Research Unit is to conduct nutrition research to prevent obesity in at-risk, rural populations in the Lower Mississippi Delta (LMD) of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Delta OPRU is conducting a multi-component obesity prevention research project targeting at-risk rural populations. Components include: conducting a nutrition research project in rural Phillips County, Arkansas and the Lower Mississippi Delta that measures youth and adult caregivers' ability to adhere to the eating patterns as set forth in the Dietary Guidelines (DG) for Americans. Additionally, to conduct a multi-year research project to develop and assess the efficacy of an incremental adaptation and adoption of four DG, whose health impact was tested in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and PREMIER: Lifestyles Intervention for Blood Pressure Control clinical trials, in promoting healthier eating and healthier weight in the LMD. These studies will provide a greater understanding of the rural minority populations sustaining healthy dietary patterns and lifestyles long term.

Approach:
Our studies will focus on measuring the impact of adapting dietary menus and recipes to meet the Dietary Guidelines (DG) recommendations and DASH Dietary Patterns, analyzing 24-hour dietary recalls and/or Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) of African American adult caregivers and rural youth. Collectively, these studies will permit the development and evaluation of a Delta DG Small Steps (Delta DGSS) Tool Kit that will be adapted to meet four DG and be culturally appropriate for use in the Delta.