Increasing parental provision and children's consumption of lunchbox fruit and vegetables in Ireland: the Food Dudes intervention

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2009-05, Vol.63 (5), p.613-618
• Main Authors: Horne, P.J, Hardman, C.A, Lowe, C.F, Tapper, K, Le Noury, J, Madden, P, Patel, P, Doody, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; behavior change; Biological and medical sciences; Child; child nutrition; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Clinical Nutrition; Consumption data; Demographic aspects; Diet; Diet - standards; Diet Surveys; Epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Food; food choices; Food Dudes Intervention; food intake; Fruit; fruit juices; Fruits; fruits (food); Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Humans; Internal Medicine; Intervention; Ireland; lunch; Male; Meals; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional aspects; nutritional intervention; original-article; Parents; Parents & parenting; Public Health; school children; School lunches; Schools; temporal variation; Vegetables; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2008.34

Background/Objectives: Previous research in the United Kingdom, where there is a school canteen system, has shown that the Food Dudes intervention substantially increases children's fruit and vegetable consumption. The current study evaluated its effectiveness in Ireland where school meals are not provided and children bring food to school in lunchboxes. Subjects/Methods: Participants were 4- to 11-year-old children attending two primary schools; the schools were randomly assigned to experimental or control conditions (n=228 and 207, respectively). During the 16-day intervention in the experimental school, children watched video adventures featuring the heroic Food Dudes, and received small rewards for eating fruit and vegetables provided. In both schools, parental provision and children's consumption of fruit and vegetables in the lunchboxes were assessed at baseline and 12-month follow-up (Lunchbox measures). Fruit and vegetables were provided in both schools over an 8-day baseline phase and the 16-day intervention, and children's consumption was measured (school-provided food measures). Results: Relative to baseline, consumption of the school-provided foods increased during the intervention in the experimental school (P