title: A curriculum based on social learning theory emphasizing fruit exposure and positive parent child-feeding strategies: a pilot study.
abstract: This study examined the effectiveness of a nutrition intervention program to enhance children's knowledge, preference, and intake of whole fruit and to decrease parents' use of controlling child-feeding behaviors. Subjects were fifth- and sixth-grade students (children aged 10-12 years) from Cincinnati, Ohio. Nine parent-child pairs completed the study. Seventeen parent-child pairs who expressed interest but were unable to attend more than one session served as controls. Based on the Social Learning Theory, the curriculum combined child-focused interactive lessons and skill-building activities with parent-focused lessons on child-feeding strategies to increase the fruit intake of children. Change in children's knowledge, preference, and intake of fruit and parents' use of controlling child-feeding strategies were measured in a pretest/posttest manner using validated questionnaires. There was a significant increase in knowledge scores and fruit intake by children in the experimental vs the control group. Fruit preference scores were similar between groups. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in use of controlling child-feeding strategies by parents in the intervention vs the control group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
authors.forename: Laura Siem
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Gribble
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falciglia
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Couch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009820:Ohio; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires