"160°F for your family": an emotions-based approach to motivating women in WIC to use a food thermometer in ground beef patties

Amy Teresa Erickson

A food thermometer is the only scientifically validated method for consumers to accurately determine whether an internal temperature of 71°C is reached in ground beef patties and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are inactivated. Infants and young children are especially susceptible to Escherichia coli O157:H7 foodborne illness and suffer more serious complications than adults. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) reaches many households containing infants and young children. Consumer use of food thermometers for ground beef patties is limited; “160°F For Your Family” is a campaign to increase the use of food thermometers for ground beef patties in WIC households. Projective techniques were used in four focus groups with women and mothers participating in Washington WIC programs, and revealed these mothers feel an emotional need for security in their household and a need to be considered good mothers. Women and mothers value the security of a good life and desire a happy, loved, safe family protected from danger. Food thermometers are deemed unnecessary and a mother who uses food thermometers is perceived as overprotective. Mothers do not believe a food thermometer is an accurate, v important tool for preventing foodborne illness. Alternate safety methods are used which mothers feel are as safe as standard recommended methods. Therefore, three rack cards were developed, linking love for children and the emotional need for security to food thermometer use. The rack cards presented food thermometers as beneficial, necessary food safety tools. Rack cards developed were pre-tested with women and mothers in WIC and revised to include the material which resonated with the women and mothers. Photographs of young children, personal testimonies from mothers, practical recommendations, and emotional headings were included in the rack cards. Content was reviewed by food safety specialists. The emotions-based food thermometer rack cards were disseminated in 45 WIC clinics in 17 Washington counties over a period of two months. This approach will be evaluated to assess the effectiveness of the developed brochures. An emotions-based approach may motivate behavior change in a variety of consumer settings.

"160°F for your family": an emotions-based approach to motivating women in WIC to use a food thermometer in ground beef patties

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