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This article describes how a growing recognition and desire exists to leverage technology in new ways to achieve increased well-being. However, designing and evaluating technology for well-being support is complex. Using an exploratory formative approach, this study created and evaluated the meditative virtual world Sanctuarium to gain a richer understanding of engagement and the human experience of technology-supported meditation. Experienced meditators with no previous use of virtual worlds interacted with Sanctuarium to perform meditation. Meditators described a positive experience and rated it as successful and engaging. Phenomenological analysis provided a rich description of the meditation experience. Participants perceived Sanctuarium as a restorative environment and described the experience as unique but also facilitative, similar to guided meditation. Participants also identified Sanctuarium as a good tool for novices. The aim of this article is to promote more well-being through innovative design and use of technology. Virtual world technology is a prime candidate for this purpose.

Mississippi leads the nation in child obesity, chronic diseases, poverty, and food insecurity. Stemming the long-term consequences of high obesity rates will require a cultural attitude and behavioral shift towards healthy eating. This study explored the perceptions, beliefs, practices, and self-efficacy towards healthy eating among limited resource Mississippi parents to inform a SNAP-Ed social marketing campaign. A statewide telephone survey was conducted with income-eligible or current SNAP recipients who provided or prepared food for children in their household. Likert-type scale questions measured intrapersonal factors, self-efficacy, and practices regarding healthy eating, such as shopping and meal planning. A total of 206 surveys were analyzed. Seventy-nine percent (n=163) of participants were currently receiving SNAP benefits. Healthy eating was perceived as balanced meals and fruits and vegetables. Though 60% agreed that cost was a barrier to eating more fruits and vegetables, 90% of participants had positive attitudes and beliefs towards healthy eating. In summary, Mississippi parents with limited resources were interested in providing healthy balanced meals but faced cost as the major barrier. A social marketing message with this population can be effective in emphasizing affordable healthy meals.

Social marketing campaigns are effective in promoting health behavior changes in individuals and communities. Mississippi State University Extension Service's (MSU Extension) Office of Nutrition Education launched a statewide social marketing campaign branded HappyHealthy to target nutrition and healthy lifestyle-related behaviors of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-eligible individuals and families. In this study, a process evaluation was conducted with MSU Extension staff to assess perceptions of the campaign's relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. In the early stages of the campaign, external evaluators conducted in-depth interviews with MSU Extension staff members (n = 17). After the campaign had been active for several months, the same external evaluators developed a web-based survey instrument for administration with MSU Extension staff (n = 54). Interview and survey responses were interpreted in accordance with Roger's diffusion of innovation theory. Staff responses indicated it is important that campaign messages and materials align with and enhance staff members' job responsibilities and that campaign messages are consistent with other education being delivered. Allowing staff to get familiar with some campaign materials before they are responsible for using them may also be advantageous for successful adoption and implementation.

4-H Healthy Living programs address healthy eating; physical activity; social-emotional health and well-being; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use prevention; and injury prevention. Using the Systematic Screening and Assessment Method, this paper identified 32 4-H Healthy Living programs across the nation ready for comprehensive outcome evaluation and/or national replication based on 6 criteria. Weaknesses in an additional 78 programs that did not meet the criteria were also identified. Programs that failed to meet the criteria did so primarily because they lacked a clearly delineated theory of change or appropriate evaluation. Implications for practice include ways to strengthen program planning and use of a comprehensive evaluation framework. Specific attention is given to professional development for 4-H professionals.

Mississippi residents (n = 404) were surveyed to determine how The Food Factor brand viewership impacted their behavior and behavioral intention. The Food Factor is a weekly Extension mass media program that communicates research-based information about food, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles. A researcher-developed instrument was used to collect information about behavior and behavioral intent, as well as perceptions of The Food Factor using Qualtrics from a representative sample. Respondents were split into viewer and non-viewer categories. Viewers were asked about their viewing frequency and their nutrition-related behaviors and behavioral intention to create a behavioral score. Non-viewers were also asked about their nutrition-related behaviors and behavioral intention to compare to viewers. The majority of viewers' results indicated they were casual viewers. On average, viewers had a slightly higher behavioral score than non-viewers. There was no statistically significant correlation between viewing frequency and viewers' behavioral scores. Overall, it was uncertain if the brand had meaningful effects on viewers. Recommendations include future studies on the use of branding in social marketing programs and other mass media programs in other states, and further evaluation of The Food Factor brand.

Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agri-food systems. A global study carried out by the FAO Investment Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute, with support from the CGIAR Research Programme on Policies, Institutions and Markets and the FAO Research and Extension Unit, looks at agriculture human capital investments, from trends to promising initiatives. One of the nine featured case studies comes from the State of Mississippi in the United States of America. Agencies from i) formal education systems; (ii) nonformal education systems; (iii) state governmental agencies; and (iv) advocacy and commodity groups collaborated to develop agriculture human capital among youth and adults. Agency documents, representatives and clients described technical skills and functional skills developed, resulting in benefits like increased agricultural productivity, reduced expenses, higher individual or farm income, networks linking farmers and other producers, a better prepared workforce and a strong agriculture industry with good economic returns. This publication is part of the Country Investment Highlights series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme. ; Non-PR ; IFPRI2; CRP2; 5 Strengthening Institutions and Governance; Capacity Strengthening ; DSGD; PIM ; CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)

The purpose of this research was to explore dietary acculturation in Hispanic males in the context of the Operant Theory of Acculturation. This was a qualitative study using grounded theory to guide methodological procedures. Semi-structured interviews, a focus group, the Acculturation-Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans-II and the Marginality Scale, and photovoice with follow-up interviews were used to explore dietary acculturation in the participant sample. Thirty-five first- and second-generation Hispanic males residing in Mississippi were recruited and categorized into one of three different bidimensional acculturation groups as determined by the Acculturation-Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans-II and the Marginality Scale. Main dietary influencing themes identified were intrapersonal and environmental dietary factors. The subthemes included values, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and preference for the intrapersonal factors and availability; living structure; accessibility; food preparation skill; and time for the environmental factors. The factors are not mutually exclusive and show the complexity of the dietary acculturation process. This research can be used to guide future research and inform nutrition intervention development for this population.

The 4‐H youth development program of the nation's 109 land‐grant universities and the Cooperative Extension System is one of the largest youth development organization in the United States serving approximately six million youth. The 4‐H Healthy Living initiative began in 2008 to promote achievement of optimal physical, social, and emotional well‐being for youth and families. In 2013, the National 4‐H Council sought to identify 4‐H Healthy Living programs in the domains of healthy eating and physical activity that adhered to the national 4‐H Healthy Living mission and were ready for comprehensive outcome evaluation or replication at a national level. This chapter shares findings from an environmental scan of 4‐H programs and (a) identifies programs with evidence of promoting a healthy diet and physical activity, (b) describes program impacts related to healthy diet and physical activity, and (c) clarifies select program characteristics associated with reported healthy eating and/or physical activity outcomes. The RE‐AIM evaluation framework is introduced as an effective approach to assessing program impact for 4‐H Healthy Living and similar out‐of‐school time programs.

Within Extension, environmental scans are most commonly used to assess community or organizational issues or for strategic planning purposes. However, Extension has expanded the use of environmental scans to systematically identify "what programs exist" on a given topic or focus area. Yet, despite recent attention to the topic of environmental scanning in Extension, survey instruments used to conduct environmental scans have not been published. Given the emphasis on implementation of evidence-based practices and programs, having a ready-made survey that can be used to identify programs on a specific topic and that could subsequently lead to an evaluability assessment of those programs would be a useful resource. To encourage the use of environmental scans to identify existing evidence-based programs, this article describes a survey instrument developed for the purpose of scanning for 4-H Healthy Living programs ready for rigorous outcome evaluation and/or national replication. It focuses on the rationale for survey items, as well as provides a summary and definition of those items. The survey tool can be easily adapted for future programmatic environmental scans both within and outside Extension.