title: Evaluation of a theater production about eating behavior of children.
abstract: This study evaluated "All's Well That Eats Well," a theater production performed in 20 schools in the Twin Cities, Minn., metropolitan area in winter 2000. The production sought to change food-related knowledge and food choices concerning fruits and vegetables among children in grades 1-6. The study used a pretest-posttest design with two randomly-assigned, sequential intervention-control groups (N = 4,093). All students completed surveys prior to and then following the theater production and the classroom and home activities. No differences existed between the groups at pretest. Significant differences occurred in food-related knowledge, food choices, and food recall from pretest to posttest for all students. Significant differences also occurred between intervention groups in food-related knowledge and food choices. The study indicates that professional theater productions in schools can create at least a short-term effect on children's nutrition knowledge and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. Second St., Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. perry@epi.umn.edu
authors.forename: Cheryl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Marguerite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zauner
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: Gretchen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Donald B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Bishop
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D004324:Drama; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D012574:Schools; D040241:Social Marketing