Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Children: Comparing Long-Term Effects of a Free Distribution and a Multicomponent Program

Y

10

Intervention; Parent Participation; Eating Habits; Nutrition; Child Health; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Elementary School Students; Comparative Analysis; Followup Studies; Teaching Methods

10.1093/her/cyn027

0268-1153

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two primary school-based interventions on children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption on the long term (2 years after the start of the interventions). Six primary schools were recruited and randomly assigned to (i) a daily free distribution program for the whole school or (ii) a multicomponent program consisting of a classroom curriculum and parental involvement (without free F&V), and six schools served as controls. Follow-up measurements were conducted at the end of the intervention (Follow-up I) and 1 year later (Follow-up II). Random coefficient analyses for longitudinal data showed that the effects of both interventions did not differ between the two follow-up measurements. The results showed similar effects for the free distribution program and the multicomponent program in increasing children's fruit consumption over time (respectively, 7.2 and 15.2 g day[superscript -1]). The distribution program also increased children's vegetable consumption over time (3.25 g day[superscript -1]), even after repeating the analyses using a pessimistic scenario. Despite the large dropout and its consequences for generalizability of our results, the distribution program is considered as the preferred intervention of the two, and implementation on a larger scale should be investigated.

As Provided

2011

EJ907942