Released April 28, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Pregnant women are among the most at risk when it comes to food-borne illness. But there's little research to show how best to reach them with food safety educational programs and materials -- especially those with low incomes.

That's why Ohio State University Extension is offering "Healthy Baby, Healthy Me," a series of eight food safety and nutrition classes specifically targeted for low-income pregnant women. Participants can earn up to $50 for taking the classes.

"We want the mother-to-be to be as informed about nutrition and food safety as possible," said Lydia Medeiros, OSU Extension food safety specialist and professor of human nutrition in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

The small-group classes, offered at Columbus-area community centers, libraries and other neighborhood facilities, are being offered in both English and Spanish to low-income pregnant women age 18 or older. Anyone interested may contact the program by calling (614) 247-2065. Because the program lasts eight weeks, participants should be in their first or second trimester when they sign up.

"Healthy Baby, Healthy Me" is part of a research project funded by the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative, said Medeiros, who is also a researcher with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. It is designed to examine whether information and education offered in the classes actually results in improved health and safety. "There's so much we don't know about what really works," Medeiros said.

The program was piloted in the fall, and classes for the research project began earlier this year. The classes are offered through Extension's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and are designed to be interactive, with different foods prepared during each lesson. "There's lots of doing rather than listening," Medeiros said.

Ohio State is partnering with Colorado State University Extension in the research. Over the next two years, Extension hopes to find 300 women in each state to participate. Nora Hesse, one of the program's four instructors, said the program differs slightly for Hispanic participants. "Latinas seem to cook from scratch more and not eat out as much," she said. "But they also often buy tamales and things like that from food carts or door-to-door vendors." The nutrition and food safety considerations are reflected in the lessons for different populations, she said. Another instructor, Teresa Baas, said Healthy Baby, Healthy Me could make a real difference in people's lives. "I'm proud to be involved with a program that helps the community understand the importance of eating healthy for their unborn child," she said.

The other instructors are Karen Colonia-Abel, who also teaches the Spanish-language class, and Charlene Rieves.

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http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=4596

Contacts: Martha Filipic, (614) 292-9833, filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu

Lydia Medeiros, (614) 292-2699, LMedeiros@ehe.osu.edu