PHC6534: Addressing and Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences leading to Malnutrition through the Utilization of Alachua County Public Schools

My grant proposal focuses on the relationship between malnutrition and childhood ACE’s. My reason for picking malnutrition as my issue was because those who struggle with the condition often come from areas of low SES, poor areas, and low economic opportunity. Malnutrition adds an extra level of burden because biologically it can cause issues with memory and cognition that can extend well into adulthood. The effect of malnutrition and the process of not having enough/the right foods to eat in childhood can lead to pressing psychological issues that can permeate into adulthood. My grant proposal attempts to address this issue by asking for funding to help create a farm-to-table initiative, where students learn about proper nutrition and how to create healthy meals.

By taking into account the personal, societal, and community aspects of public health, this program utilizes a public health framework to prevent malnutrition among students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences. This program aligns with the primary prevention level, as the target audience is students who qualify for free and reduced meals through Alachua County public schools. We aim to prevent malnutrition, as well as, educate students on methods of how to implement such a lifestyle moving forward. By emphasizing social and behavioral factors associated with growing up in low-income areas, we aim to expose students to food in a way they may have otherwise never experienced⁴. By tackling and preventing a very common and combatable issue (malnutrition), we aim to set students up for success so they can avoid future implications in adulthood.

This project will use the CDC's Social-Ecological Model¹ as a framework to adequately address education and prevention in students. At the individual level, we will be teaching students the importance of eating healthy meals, as well as, how to prepare their meals on a budget. Doing this will allow them to utilize the skills they learn at these workshops at home. Moving beyond the classroom and into the kitchen will introduce students to a hands-on approach when it comes to taking control of their life and their nutrition. At the relationship level, we will focus on creating a trusting relationship between parent, teacher, and student. We believe this is the first step to initiating real change because opening up a dialogue between all parties, allows all parties to recognize and react to the first signs of ACE's accordingly¹.

Similarly, by working alongside the Alachua County school system, dieticians, teachers, students, and other partners within the community, we can create an environment dedicated to nutrition and overall well-being. Having schools and neighborhoods work together allows us to not only have peers keeping an eye out for warning signs but can give students a multitude of individuals to reach out to if needed¹. This ties directly into the community level, where we hope to use our peers to protect our students in the long run. With this initiative, we hope to shift the narrative away from fast food towards healthy meals, which will require policy change at the societal level.

SAMHSA's trauma-informed principles will serve as a guide for this project. The most emphasized principle will be that of safety⁷. We aim to create a safe space for students to explore their interests, ask questions, and open up about their day-to-day. By building rapport and trust, we strive to become a support system in their lives. This program will be built from trust and honesty, to create a space that is transparent and helpful to those who participate⁷. Through peer support, collaboration and mutuality, we will encourage students to work with their peers to create meals. By establishing teamwork and collaboration at every step of the meal-prep process, from growing the vegetables to cooking them, students will learn what it means to work with others towards a common goal. In terms of ACE's, this is important because once students realize that they have someone they can trust and work well with, they will be more inclined to open up. Childhood trauma progresses in individuals when events are internalized instead of properly dealt with. The environment and practices we will implement will eliminate this concern. Utilizing interdisciplinary teams in the Alachua County community is an important part of creating this space for students.

In addition to these principles, we will also utilize empowerment, voice, and choice⁷. We have found that students do not stick with choices or recommendations if they feel like they are being ordered to do them. We aim to make this program integrative. By moving out of a lecture/classroom setting and doing what we preach, we hope to give students the space to decide what they like, dislike, want to continue, or want to discontinue. Being an active part of their decision-making process is how we aim to make a long-lasting change with this program.

Resources:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...dc.gov%2Fviolencepre vention%2Foverview%2Fsocial-ecologicalmodel.html
2. Cornell University. (2017, January 03). Childhood poverty can rob adults of psychological health. Retrieved February 20, 2021, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/r.../01/170103134356.htm
3. Dipasquale V, Cucinotta U, Romano C. Acute Malnutrition in Children: Pathophysiology, Clinical Effects and Treatment. Nutrients. 2020; 12(8):2413. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082413
4. Frank December 8th, N. (2020, November 04). Malnutrition in America. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://www.focusforhealth.org/malnutrition/
5. Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia. Trauma-Informed Philanthropy: A Funder’s Resource Guide for Supporting-Informed Practice in the Delaware Valley. Retrieved March 4, 2021 from, https://c.mydn.com/sites/www.p...maGUIDE_FinalWeb.pdf.
6. Olodu, M. D., Adeyemi, A. G., Olowookere, S. A., & Esimai, O. A. (2019). Nutritional status of under-five children born to teenage mothers in an urban setting, south-western Nigeria. BMC research notes, 12(1), 116. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4147-x
7. Samhsa. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach.; 2014. https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4884.pdf. Accessed March 8, 2019.
8. 8. School breakfast Program (sbp) fact sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/fact-sheet