| This study investigated if the lay health workers who teach the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) have the qualities, characteristics, and processes that were deemed important as outlined in the lay helping literature, if EFNEP participants perceive these qualities and characteristics as important when receiving nutrition education, and how the presence or absence of these items relate to the behavioral outcomes of the participants in EFNEP.;Data were collected from a cross sectional sample of participants (n = 202) enrolled in EFNEP in three geographic location in Illinois using a developed survey and the behavioral questionnaire for the Nutrition Education and Reporting System used in EFNEP. Descriptive statistics were used to report the qualities and characteristics that were detected and rated important and multiple regression analysis was used to predict changes in behavior.;Results show that the participants highly rated the lay health workers who teach the program to have the qualities, characteristics, and skills as outlined in the lay helping literature, especially in the areas of instrumental and emotional support, Social Learning Theory constructs, and personal characteristics of friendliness, compassion, respect, credibility, and trust. Lower ratings were received for instrumental support and components of Social Network Theory. Correspondingly, participants perceived the same characteristics and qualities to be important when receiving nutrition education. When analyzing these characteristics against the behavioral change of the participants, knowing what the LHW taught was most predictive to the overall behavior change. Other Social Learning Theory components of observational performance (learning through observation) may also be predictive.;Based on these results, recommendations for the EFNEP and programs that utilize lay health workers would be to screen for the characteristics and qualities related to social support and the personal characteristics for lay helping when selecting and training staff, and in the delivery of the program, continue to provide an atmosphere and curriculum where social support and Social Learning Theory concepts could be enhanced. Lastly, the program should provide opportunities for participants to understand concepts taught by the LHW and provide opportunities for observation as it appears to be predictive of behavior change. |
