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Peer educators have been used for many years in nutrition education interventions.With the increasing importance of documented impacts, the role of peers is expanding to include research activities. Twenty-seven peer educators were hired to deliver the Maryland WIC 5 A Day Promotion Program in three pilot and 16 full-scale study WIC sites in Maryland. Their roles included recruiting and enrolling program participants, collecting pre- and postsurvey data and process evaluation forms, conducting a series of three 45-minute nutrition education sessions, providing social support, maintaining contact with participants through telephone and mail, and tracking participants through the course of the program. Peer educators can make valuable contributions to program design, deliver interventions effectively, and provide social support both to participants and to each other. However, peer educators need intensive training, support, and monitoring for complete and accurate data collection, complete and consistent program delivery, and telephone contacts with participants. Because peer educators face life crises similar to those of their target audiences, special attention is often required for them to remain effective. This paper presents strategies developed as part of the Maryland WIC 5 A Day Program for building the competencies of peer educators working in research.

Although the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) serves approximately 6.5 million participants nationwide, little research has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of health promotion programs aimed at the prevention of chronic diseases among its participants. Characteristics of the WIC program and the population it serves present numerous challenges to successfully implementing such initiatives. This National Cancer Institute-funded study seeks to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among women enrolled in WIC and women whose children are enrolled in WIC in Maryland. Key behavioral messages, motivators, and strategies tailored to the target population were identified first. The project team then developed a multifaceted intervention program. To assess its effectiveness and to learn about potential logistical problems prior to initiating a large-scale intervention program, we conducted a pilot study in two intervention sites and one control site. The pilot study demonstrated problems in client recruitment and participation. Both intervention sites showed small increases in fruit and vegetable consumption that were not statistically significant. Numerous lessons were learned, demonstrating the utility of conducting such a study prior to implementing a full-scale intervention.

This article describes formative research conducted as part of a study aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income women enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Focus group discussions and central location intercept interviews were conducted with WIC participants to answer questions such as (1) What are their food shopping, preparation, and eating habits? (2) What perceptions do they have about fruits and vegetables? (3) What barriers do they face to increased consumption of fruits and vegetables? and (4) What motivations and messages might be effective in promoting increased consumption? Results indicated that these women, while generally responsible for food shopping and preparation, did not cook extensively.They reported many positive perceptions of fruits and vegetables, but also identified barriers to increasing consumption, including lack of availability, time and effort to prepare, and preference for other foods. Several implications for nutrition interventions were suggested. First, a key motivation for these women was being a good role model for their children, suggesting a persuasive appeal to use in interventions. Second, review of the women's current eating behaviors led to an identification of five specific behaviors that had the most potential for increasing overall consumption. Finally, the findings suggested ways in which nutrition interventions could address each of the barriers identified.