Improving Physical Activity and Outdoor Recreation in Rural Alabama Through Community Coalitions.

Obesity rates in the United States are trending upward, and disadvantaged populations continue to have disproportionate rates of obesity. In Alabama, the ALProHealth initiative used community-based participatory research to work with community coalitions to implement research-based interventions that addressed issues related to the lack of opportunities for physical activity in 14 counties whose populations are at high risk of obesity. Coalitions developed work plans and timelines for implementing interventions on the basis of issues discussed during focus groups at the beginning of the ALProHealth initiative. These 14 coalitions implemented 101 interventions related to physical activity in 16 communities. In this evaluation, we measured potential reach and improvements in amenities. The largest reach for an intervention was achieved through marketing and communication efforts, while the most popular intervention, undertaken by the largest number of communities, centered on installing or repairing playground equipment at community parks. Community-based participatory research is an effective method for addressing health issues at the local level, as interventions are developed and readily adopted through active partnerships with community leaders and residents.

Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption of third-grade students in body quest: food of the warrior, a 17-class childhood obesity prevention program.

OBJECTIVE: To increase fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption of youth in Body Quest: Food of the Warrior (BQ), a childhood obesity prevention program. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental. SETTING: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education eligible schools (n = 60). PARTICIPANTS: Third-grade students (n = 2,477). INTERVENTION: Treatment groups (n = 1,674) self-reported foods consumed through the School Lunch Program for 17 weekly assessments; they participated in BQ curriculum, iPad app education, and weekly FV tastings. Control groups (n = 803) completed only pre- and post-assessments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Weekly FV consumed through School Lunch Program. ANALYSIS: ANCOVA and growth modeling. RESULTS: From before to after the program, the treatment group demonstrated significant, moderate increases in fruit (P < .01) and vegetable (P < .001) consumptions, increasing from 7 to 8 weekly FV servings. After the program, the treatment group consumed significantly (P < .001) more FV than the control group. Fruit and vegetable consumption increased to class 10 and then stabilized. From before to after the program, all FV predictors were significantly higher and included gender (vegetables), race (FV), and free/reduced lunch (fruit). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Nutrition programs can increase FV intake. Even moderate increases in FV intake can be an initial step for the prevention of chronic disease.

School gardens: an experiential learning approach for a nutrition education program to increase fruit and vegetable knowledge, preference, and consumption among second-grade students.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a school garden on children's fruit and vegetable knowledge, preference, and consumption. DESIGN: Self-report questionnaires, interview-style taste and rate items, lunchroom observations. SETTING: An elementary school. PARTICIPANTS: Second-grade students (n = 115). INTERVENTION: Participants were assigned to one of 3 groups: (1) nutrition education and gardening (NE+G) treatment group, (2) nutrition education only (NE) treatment group, or (3) control group (CG). Both treatment groups received classroom instruction, and the NE+G group also received a school gardening experience. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fruit and vegetable knowledge, preference, and consumption. ANALYSIS: Analyses of variance (alpha = .05). RESULTS: Participants in the NE+G and NE treatment groups exhibited significantly greater improvements in nutrition knowledge and taste ratings than did participants in the CG. Moreover, the NE+G group was more likely to choose and consume vegetables in a lunchroom setting at post-assessment than either the NE or CG groups. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: School gardens as a component of nutrition education can increase fruit and vegetable knowledge and cause behavior change among children. These findings suggest that school administrators, classroom teachers, and nutrition educators should implement school gardens as a way to positively influence dietary habits at an early age.

Effects of a nutrition education program on the dietary behavior and nutrition knowledge of second-grade and third-grade students.

This research investigated the effects of a nutrition education program on dietary behavior and nutrition knowledge among elementary school-aged children participating in a Social Cognitive Theory-based nutrition education program. Participants included 1100 second-grade and third-grade students selected by convenience-type sampling from public schools in Alabama. A preassessment and postassessment control group design assessed dietary behavior and nutrition knowledge using Pizza Please, a specially designed interactive evaluation tool. A 2 x 2 mixed analysis of variance was used to analyze data. Children in the treatment group exhibited significantly (p < .001) greater improvement in overall dietary behaviors such as consumption of dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, than children in the control group. Children in the treatment group exhibited significantly (p < .001) greater improvement in nutrition knowledge, including Food Guide Pyramid understanding, nutrient-food association, and nutrient-job association, than children in the control group. Results suggest that nutrition education programs that teach positive dietary messages potentially can improve dietary behavior and increase nutrition knowledge in children.