Eat the Rainbow! An Evaluation of a Short-term Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Education Intervention for Elementary School Children

Author

Elizabeth Diane MillerFollow

Date of Award

12-2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Nutrition

Major Professor

Marsha Spence

Committee Members

Hollie Raynor, Denise Bates

Abstract

Objective: To test differences on mean fruit and vegetable (FV) eaten, liking, preference, and self-efficacy scores among 3 modes of nutrition education intervention after a 3-week intervention.

Design: Convenience sample, pre- and post-test, quasi-experimental design.

Setting: Three elementary schools in a rural Eastern Tennessee County.

Participants: Participants were 160 3^rd-5^th graders.

Interventions: Three study schools: experiential (nutrition education, taste tests, and learning activity), conventional (nutrition education and learning activity), and control (learning activity).

Main Outcome Measures: Changes in pre- to post-intervention mean FV eaten, liking, preference, and self-efficacy scores.

Analysis: Mixed model ANOVA to compare the mean pre- and post-scores. Significance was set at the 0.05 level.

Results: Significant increases for preference by intervention group (p=0.015). Although there were no differences by intervention group, significant increases and decreases from pre- to post-intervention were noted for overall FV eaten (p=0.016), liking (p=0.001), and preference (p=.003).

Conclusions and Implications: A 3-week school-based nutrition intervention influenced some factors associated with FV consumption. More research is needed to evaluate sustainability and appropriate, practical intervention duration.

Recommended Citation

Miller, Elizabeth Diane, "Eat the Rainbow! An Evaluation of a Short-term Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Education Intervention for Elementary School Children. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2011.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/1085