Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Aug 5;12(8):2343.
doi: 10.3390/nu12082343.

Effect of Experiential Vegetable Education Program on Mediating Factors of Vegetable Consumption in Australian Primary School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Astrid A M Poelman  1 , Maeva Cochet-Broch  1 , Bonnie Wiggins  2 , Rod McCrea  3 , Jessica E Heffernan  1 , Janne Beelen  1 , David N Cox  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of Experiential Vegetable Education Program on Mediating Factors of Vegetable Consumption in Australian Primary School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Astrid A M Poelman et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Schools provide a relevant and equitable environment to influence students towards increased vegetable consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a Vegetable Education Resource To Increase Children's Acceptance and Liking (VERTICAL) for Australian primary schools (curriculum aligned and based on a framework of food preference development and sensory experiential learning) on positively influencing factors predisposing children towards increased vegetable consumption. The secondary aim was to evaluate two levels of teacher training intensity on intervention effectiveness. A cluster-RCT amongst schools with three conditions was conducted: 1 = teaching VERTICAL preceded by online teacher training; 2 = as per 1 with additional face-to-face teacher training; 3 = Control. Pre-test, post-test and 3-month follow-up measures (knowledge, verbalization ability, vegetable acceptance, behavioural intentions, willing to taste, new vegetables consumed) were collected from students (n = 1639 from 25 schools in Sydney/Adelaide, Australia). Data were analyzed using mixed model analysis. No difference in intervention effectiveness was found between the two training methods. Compared to the Control, VERTICAL positively affected all outcome measures after intervention (p < 0.01) with knowledge sustained at 3-month follow-up (p < 0.001). In conclusion, VERTICAL was effective in achieving change amongst students in mediating factors known to be positively associated with vegetable consumption.

Keywords: acceptance; children; cluster-randomized controlled trial (cluster-RCT); education program; experiential learning; primary (elementary) school; sensory; vegetable.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT participation flowchart of schools, classes and students in NSW and SA.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in outcomes over time in both intervention groups combined compared to the control group in (a) knowledge about vegetables and the senses, (b) ability to verbalize sensations, (c) vegetable acceptance, (d) behavioural intentions, (e) willingness to eat vegetables, (f) number of new vegetables consumed. p-value on the difference in intervention * time point interaction effect between the intervention and control.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mihrshahi S., Myton R., Partridge S.R., Esdaile E., Hardy L.L., Gale J. Sustained low consumption of fruit and vegetables in Australian children: Findings from the Australian National Health Surveys. Health Promot. J. Aust. 2019;30:83–87. doi: 10.1002/hpja.201. - DOI - PubMed
    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture . 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture; Washington, DC, USA: 2015. [(accessed on 2 January 2020)]. Available online: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
    1. Wang X., Ouyang Y., Liu J., Zhu M., Zhao G., Bao W., Hu F.B. Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ. 2014;349:g4490. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g4490. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blissett J., Fogel A. Intrinsic and extrinsic influences on children’s acceptance of new foods. Physiol. Behav. 2013;121:89–95. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.02.013. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Nicklaus S., Boggio V., Issanchou S. Food choices at lunch during the third year of life: High selection of animal and starchy foods but avoidance of vegetables. Acta Paediast. 2005;94:943–951. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2005.tb02015.x. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources