Volume 47, Issue 2, March–April 2015, Pages 176–180
Research Brief
A School Gardening and Healthy Snack Program Increased Aboriginal First Nations Children's Preferences Toward Vegetables and Fruit
Abstract
Objective
The
researchers evaluated the impact of a 7-month gardening and 4-month
vegetable and fruit snack program on Aboriginal First Nations children's
home consumption and preferences toward vegetables and fruit.
Methods
The
intervention was based on the Social Cognitive Theory. Children in
grades 1–6 planted and tended classroom container gardens and prepared
and ate what grew. At baseline and 7 months later, children tasted and
rated 17 vegetables and fruit using a Likert scale and indicated whether
they ate each food at home.
Results
Data
were collected from 76 of 116 children (65.5%). Preference scores for
vegetables, fruit, and vegetables and fruit combined increased over the 7
months (P < .017). Self-reported home consumption did not change.
Conclusions and Implications
School
interventions have the potential to increase children's preferences for
vegetables and fruit. Family participation is likely required, along
with increased community availability of produce, to promote home
consumption.
Key Words
- North American Indians;
- aboriginal;
- intervention studies;
- health education;
- gardening;
- food preferences
- Address
for correspondence: Noreen Willows, PhD, Department of Agricultural,
Food, and Nutritional Science, 4-378 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy,
Mailbox #54, 11405 87 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada; Phone:
(780) 492-3989; Fax: (780) 492-5884
Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
