Farm to Elementary School Programming Increases Access to Fruits and Vegetables and Increases Their Consumption Among Those With Low Intake

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior Vol. 46; no. 5; pp. 341 - 349
• Main Authors: Bontrager Yoder, Andrea B., Liebhart, Janice L., McCarty, Daniel J., Meinen, Amy, Schoeller, Dale, Vargas, Camilla, LaRowe, Tara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2014; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: attitudes and opinions; Child; children; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; eating habits; educational activities; Effectiveness studies; Elementary Education; Elementary school students; Elementary Schools; farm; farm to school; Farms; Female; food frequency questionnaires; Food Preferences; Food Services; Fruit; fruit consumption; Fruits; gardens; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Health behavior; Health Education - methods; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Internal Medicine; lunch; Male; males; overweight; Program Evaluation - statistics & numerical data; Programming; school; school lunch; Schools; students; surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; trays; Vegetables; Wisconsin; Wisconsin; United States > US; farm; educational activities; diet; school; overweight; child
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620; 1878-2620; 1708-8259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2014.04.297

To assess the effectiveness of Wisconsin Farm to School (F2S) programs in increasing students' fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Quasi-experimental baseline and follow-up assessments: knowledge and attitudes survey, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and lunch tray photo observation. Wisconsin elementary schools: 1 urban and 8 rural. Children, grades 3–5 (n = 1,117; 53% male, 19% non-Caucasian). Farm to School programming ranging from Harvest of the Month alone to comprehensive, including school garden, locally sourced produce in school meals, and classroom lessons. Knowledge, attitudes, exposure, liking, willingness; FFQ-derived (total), and photo-derived school lunch FV intake. t tests and mixed modeling to assess baseline differences and academic-year change. Higher willingness to try FV (+1%; P < .001) and knowledge of nutrition/agriculture (+1%; P < .001) (n = 888), and lunch FV availability (+6% to 17%; P ≤ .001) (n = 4,451 trays), both with increasing prior F2S program exposure and across the year. There was no effect on overall dietary patterns (FFQ; n = 305) but FV consumption increased among those with the lowest intakes (FFQ, baseline very low fruit intake, +135%, P < .001; photos: percentage of trays with no FV consumption for continuing programs decreased 3% to 10%, P ≤ .05). Farm to School programming improved mediators of FV consumption and decreased the proportion of children with unfavorable FV behaviors at school lunch. Longer-term data are needed to further assess F2S programs.