A school nutrition education programme improved fruit, juice, and vegetable intake, related psychosocial behaviour, and knowledge
QUESTION: Does a school nutrition education programme based on social cognitive theory improve the fruit, juice, and vegetable intake and related psychosocial behaviour in fourth and fifth grade children?
Design
Randomised {allocation concealed}*, unblinded controlled trial.
Setting
4 schools from a major metropolitan area and 12 from a suburban area in southeastern USA.
Participants
Children in participating schools who were in grade 3 {age range 8–11 y}* in the winter of 1994 and those who joined them in grades 4 and 5.
Intervention
16 elementary schools were matched in pairs by district area, student population, number of students using a free or reduced price lunch programme, and annual student turnover; then within pairs, the schools were randomised to receive the intervention or control. Schools that received the intervention were given a grade appropriate education programme, “Gimme 5”, which was developed using social cognitive theory. The intervention used a curriculum, newsletters, videotapes, point of purchase education and rewards (points were awarded for attaining dietary changes and …
