The purpose of this study was to determine if completion of the Purdue Extension Professor Popcorn nutrition curriculum impacts third grade students' long-term knowledge about, attitude toward, and self-reported consumption of fruits and vegetables. A secondary purpose was to measure any carry-over of concepts learned, or to identify any food behaviors acquired, by surveying the students' parents.A total of 74 third-grade students and 66 parents/guardians participated in this study. Data was analyzed using SPSS, version 11.0. Descriptive analysis, frequency counts, and Pearson Chi Square were used to test 15 research hypotheses. Significant differences were found in students' attitude toward vegetables, how often they ate fruit, and how often people should eat fruits and vegetables. No differences were found in parent/guardian surveys. Results of this study provide modest support for the impact of Professor Popcorn on students. No carryover of concepts to the students' parents, however, was observed. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a three week school-based nutrition education program on the nutrition knowledge and healthy food choices of elementary school children in the fifth grade. The nutrition education program consisted of nine, thirty minute lessons comprised of the following topics: the food pyramid guide, carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins (A and C), minerals (calcium, and iron), healthy snacks, and vegetarianism. Ninety-six subjects from four classes were obtained from two elementary public schools in the Muncie Community School District to participate in this study. A control group and an experimental group were assigned by the principal at each school according to the availability and interest of fifth grade teachers. Evaluation of nutrition knowledge was completed through a pre-test and post-test which consisted of twenty-five multiple choice questions. Questions on the test were developed by the researcher and the "Nutrition in a Changing World" (Contento, 1992) curriculum model. The test was found to be reliable on an Alpha Cronbach test for reliability (Alpha Coefficient = 0.71) and was validated by five registered dietitians.Results indicated that the nutrition education program significantly increased (p = .000) the nutrition knowledge of students. Mean scores for the experimental group increased significantly from 10.8 to 14.63 out of twenty-five questions, while mean scores for the control subjects increased only slightly from 10.11 to 10.74 out of twenty-five questions. Healthy food choices were defined as being in compliance with the guidelines for energy nutrients and in compliance with the guidelines for number of servings per food group. Evaluation of healthy food choices was conducted using a three-day dietary record analyzed by the Nutritionist IV computer software program prior to the nutrition education program and immediately following.Findings revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the mean change in compliance rate for the recommended number of servings for each food group from pre to post nutrition intervention (p = .000). The largest change that was observed in the experimental group from pre to post nutrition intervention was an 11.9% decrease in the mean number of servings for grains. There was no statistically significant difference in relation to the average change in compliance for the energy nutrients between the experimental and control groups nor was a statistical significance observed regarding compliance to the recommended number of servings per food group consumed daily. The primary investigator feels the educational program had a positive affect on the subjects and that a comprehensive nutrition education program needs to be developed to reinforce the concepts taught in order to make positive behavior changes. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-90).

Thesis (M.F.C.S.)--Bowling Green State University, 2008. / Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 77 p. : 1 map. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1946.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1946.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Aim: To assess the effects of initial nutritional status on the responses to a school feeding programme (SFP) among school children in the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), Siaya District, Kenya. Objectives: To establish baseline data on the dietary intake, prevalence of undernutrition, body composition, prevalence of anaemia, body iron stores and vitamin A status in order to assess the impact of the SFP over a 30-month period on the same outcomes. Further, the study assessed the effect of initial nutritional status on the responses to the SFP on growth, the prevalence of anaemia, body iron stores and vitamin A status. Methods: In the MVP, a school meal additional to the children’s usual daily food intake was provided consisting of locally available foods (containing whole fish omena and beef). The meals contributed approximately 25% of the Estimated Energy Requirement (EER), 70% of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for protein, and 18% of EAR for fat. A school meal, additional to the children’s usual daily food intake, was introduced to the control group 6 months into the study as a project scale up initiative. The meal provided 15% EER, 49 % EAR for protein and 10% EAR for fat. A total of 235 children participated in the study and were followed up for 30 months, with 118 in the MVP and 117 in the control group. Statistical analysis included descriptive, Pearson’s chi-square test, repeated measures ANOVA and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The mean subject age was 7.9 years (2.0 SD) at baseline, and half (51.4%) were boys. More than half of the children (66%) had energy intakes less than the EER. At baseline, the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 16.9%, 6.0% and 3.6% respectively. Prevalence of linear growth deficit based on height-for-age z-score ≤-1 standard deviation was 48%. Anaemia was higher in the MVP group (82.2%; P < 0.0001) compared to controls (58.1%) while depleted body iron stores was observed in 10.7% of the children. Half of the children in the control group and 30% in the MVP group had an inadequate vitamin A status while 11% of the children had infection/inflammation. At six months after initiation of the intervention, anaemia prevalence was reduced to 41.2% among the controls and 9.3% in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Among the MVP group, children with initial inadequate nutritional status based on weight-for-age z-score WAZ ≤ -1 SD had a higher (P < 0.01) height velocity (2.3 cm/six months) by the 24th month study interval compared to those who had an initial adequate nutritional status based on weight-for-age z-score WAZ > -1 SD. Conclusion: SPF menus were associated with potential for improved growth, gain in lean body mass and reduced anaemia prevalence when inadequate nutritional status was present at baseline. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Doel: Om die verband tussen skoolkinders se aanvanklike voedingstatus en die respons op ’n skoolvoedingsprogram (SVP) in die Millennium Villages Project (MVP), Siaya-distrik, Kenia, te bepaal. Doelwitte: Om basislyn data te versamel ten opsigte van dieetinname, prevalensie van ondervoeding, liggaamssamestelling, prevalensie van anemie, ysterstore en vitamine A status ten einde die impak van die SVP oor ‘n 30-maande periode op genoemde uitkomste te bepaal. Verder het die studie ook die effek van aanvanklike voedingstatus op die respons tot die SVP bepaal ten opsigte van groei, die prevalensie van anemie, ysterstore en vitamine A status. Metode: In die MVP is ‘n skoolmaaltyd addisioneel tot die kinders in beide studiegroepe se daaglikse voedselinname voorsien. Die SVP se spyskaarte het bestaan uit plaaslik beskikbare voedsel (bevattende die vissoort omena en beesvleis) en het ongeveer 25% van die kinders se geraamde energievereistes (EER), 70% van hul proteïenvereistes (EAR) en 18% van hul vetvereistes (EAR) voorsien. ‘n Skoolmaaltyd is addisioneel tot die kinders in die kontrolegroep se gewoontelike daaglikse voedselinname ingesluit 6 maande na aanvang van die studie as deel van die MVP se uitbreidingsinisiatief. Dié maaltyd het in 15% van die kinders se energievereistes (EER), 49% van hul proteïenvereistes (EAR) en 10% van hul vetvereistes (EAR) voorsien. Altesaam 235 kinders is by die studiegroep ingesluit – 118 in die MVP en 117 in kontrolegroepe – en is vir 30 maande bestudeer. Statistiese ontleding het beskrywende ontleding, Pearson se chi-kwadraattoets, ANOVA met herhaalde metings, en multivariansie logistiese regressiemodelle ingesluit. Resultate: Die gemiddelde ouderdom van die kinders by basislyn was 7.9 jaar (2.0 SD) en die helfte (51.4%) van die respondente was seuns. Meer as die helfte van die kinders (66%) het ‘n energieinname minder as die EER getoon. By basislyn was die prevalensie van belemmerde groei, uittering en ondergewig onderskeidelik 16.9%, 6.0% en 3.6%. Die voorkoms van onvoldoende lengtegroei gebaseer op lengte-vir-ouderdom z-telling < -1SD was 48%. Anemie was hoër in die MVP groep (82.2%; p<0.0001) vergeleke met die kontroles (58.1%), terwyl 10.7% uitgeputte ysterstore getoon het. Onvoldoende vitamine A status het voorgekom in die helfte van die kinders in die kontrolegroep en 30% van die MVP groep, en infeksie / inflammasie was teenwoordig in 11% van die kinders. Die voorkoms van anemie op ses maande na aanvang van intervensie het verbeter tot 41.2% in die kontrolegroep en 9.3% in die intervensiegroep (P < 0.001). Op 24 maande het kinders met aanvanklike onvoldoende voedingstatus (WAZ < -1SD) in die MVP-groep groter lengtetoename (2.3 cm/6 maande) getoon as hul groepgenote met aanvanklike voldoende voedingstatus gebaseer op WAZ > -1 SD (P < 0.01). Gevolgtrekking: Die skoolvoedingsprogram spyskaarte het die potensiaal getoon tot ‘n verbetering in groei, toename in maer liggaamsmassa en ‘n verlaagde voorkoms van anemie onder kinders wie se basislynvoedingstatus onvoldoende was.

In the U.S., few children meet federal recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption, putting them at increased risk for overweight, obesity and several non-communicable diseases. Interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption delivered within the school setting are advantageous in that they provide the opportunity to reach many youths in period of life during which key diet-related behaviors are formed that may track into adulthood. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP), a federal food assistance program that serves over 30 million meals daily in over 100,000 schools in the U.S., is one example of an intervention that may increase fruit and vegetable consumption among children. Recent regulatory changes to the program via the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) require compliance with minimum daily and weekly minimums for fruit and vegetables offered to students at lunch to receive federal reimbursement, which has resulted in increased availability of fruits and vegetables. Although preliminary evaluations of the regulatory changes have documented small increases in consumption, there is interest in identifying other programs and policies to ensure that components are consumed. Yet there is little meta-evidence that critically examines aspects related to the design of school-based intervention studies assessing fruit and vegetable consumption. This dissertation describes a systematic mapping review of the literature and three empirical studies which inform the development of a conceptual evaluation framework for designing studies to measure fruit and vegetable consumption among elementary students in the U.S. within schools participating in the NSLP. A systematic mapping review of the literature technique was used to identify studies conducted among elementary students in grades K-5th within schools in the United States in the period from 2004 to present with the primary outcome fruit and vegetable consumption at the lunch meal. A total of 61 records were included in the review, categorized as either methodological validation studies (n=10) or as studies of factors related to students’ consumption of fruits and vegetables (n=51). Validation studies were conducted with four types of dietary assessment methods within the school lunch setting, all demonstrating moderate accuracy relative to the referent method: weighed plate waste, direct observation, digital photography and self-report instruments. In the studies examining factors related to fruit and vegetable consumption at school lunch, the frequency of methods was as follows: weighed plate waste method (n=21), direct observation (n=14), digital photography methodology (n=12), and self-report (n=4). Most studies utilized cross-sectional (n=15) or quasi-experimental designs (n=24). A socio-ecological framework was used to group 19 environmental factors examined in these studies into 5 clusters of factors: individual, item-specific, meal-specific, cafeteria environment and school-wide/policy. While many factors were explored across studies, relatively few studies accounted for multiple factors in their analyses, leaving room for potential confounding. Three empirical studies were conducted within a larger, cross-sectional evaluation of FoodCorps, a national farm-to-school program that promotes fruit and vegetable consumption in school-aged children. First, this dissertation conducted a validation study to estimate the accuracy of a self-report questionnaire instrument relative to digital photography for measuring fruit and vegetable consumption in elementary students from 23 schools in a five-phase study. High agreement was observed between student reports of fruit and vegetable items on tray and items observed in digital photographs (match rate ranged from 77 to 88% depending on phase), as well as reports of amounts of fruit and vegetable items consumed (ranges from 67 to 83% depending on phase). There were no differences observed in accuracy of reporting between 2nd and 3rd grade students. It can therefore be concluded that a group-administered self-report instrument can be used to measure fruit and vegetable consumption in a school setting among 2nd and 3rd grade students, providing a potentially less costly instrument than existing objective methods. Second, a descriptive study reports intra-class correlation estimates for fruit and vegetable outcomes, quantifying the variation in these outcomes attributable to the school-level that can be used in power calculation for future studies. Using 2,571 before- and after-meal digital photographs collected of students’ lunch trays across 40 days of data collection within 20 schools, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were estimated via multilevel regression models. The observed ICCs for all fruit and vegetable consumption outcomes ranged from 0.159 (vegetables on tray, continuous) to 0.472 (vegetables on tray, binary). Within each of food item category (fruit, vegetables, or fruit and vegetables combined), the highest ICC was observed for items on tray (binary). A multilevel linear model which included as covariates the percent of students eligible for free/reduced price lunch and the percent of white students was shown to decrease the ICC for each fruit and vegetable outcome variable except fruit on tray (binary). The largest for decrease in ICC was for the outcome fruit and vegetables on tray (in cup equivalents), wherein the model reduced ICC from 0.268 to 0.018, a 93% decrease. The power calculations for cluster randomized controlled trial that can conducted using these ICCs will help to ensure that researchers have adequately powered their studies. Third, select cafeteria environmental factors were examined in a cross-sectional study as they relate to students’ fruit and vegetable consumption at the lunch meal. Using the digital photographs of 2,571 lunch trays from the previous study, the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and several environmental factors was examined. The average consumption of fruit and vegetables was 0.35 cup equivalents (SD=0.31) and 0.24 cup equivalents (SD=0.29), respectively, among students who had them on their tray. When considering students who had a fruit or a vegetable or both on their tray (96% of the sample), the average was 0.45 cup equivalents (SD=0.40). Hierarchical linear models examined environmental variables and fruit and vegetable consumption outcomes: the number of fruit and vegetable items offered (range from 3 to 14 items) was positively associated with vegetable consumption (B=0.021; SE=0.006; P<0.001); noise (rage from 70 DbA to 84 DbA) was negatively associated with fruit consumption (B=-0.012; SE=0.004; P=0.003) and fruit and vegetable consumption (B=-0.017; SE=0.004; P<0.001); recess scheduled before lunch was positively associated with fruit consumption (relative to recess after lunch; B=0.100; SE=0.023; P<0.001) and fruit and vegetable consumption (B=0.096; SE=0.023; P<0.001). Despite cross-sectional evidence of an association, future research is necessary to systematically manipulate these variables to understand their impact. The results from these three studies and the systematic mapping review are used to develop a conceptual evaluation framework that can be used by researchers to improve the quality and design of studies promoting fruit and vegetable consumption among elementary school-aged children in the U.S.

The Department of Basic Education classifies the NSNP as one of the critical omponents of the government's Programme of Action, which was specifically assigned the responsibility of addressing learners' ability to learn by providing them with nutritious meals. The success of the programme may therefore contribute towards the country's realisation of the Millennium Development Goals which include the reduction of mortality and the eradication of extreme hunger and poverty by 2015 as well as achieving universal primary education. The aim of the National School Nutrition Programme seeks to promote sustainable food production initiatives in all School Nutrition Schools in order to develop skills. It also aims to enhance learning capacity of a learner through feeding and to promote nutrition education in order to improve healthy eating and lifestyles amongst communities. This study seeks to assess the current status in administering the NSNP in selected schools in Peddie, Eastern Cape. Due to the extensive nature of the geographical area of Peddie, this study focused exclusively on 25 schools. For the purpose of this study, a quantitative approach was employed through a questionnaire constructed to obtain the perceptions of the sample group. The responses from the statements in the questionnaire were analysed by a Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University registered statistician. In the last chapter a number of recommendations are stated to aid in improving the current administering status of the National School Nutrition Programme.

The purpose of this study is two-fold: 1. to determine whether or not certain poster presentations affect the food acceptance of elementary school children, and 2. to determine which method of presenting a poster had the most affect upon the child's food acceptance.