title: Evaluation of a social marketing campaign targeting preschool children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of a pilot social marketing program to increase preschoolers' willingness to try new foods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four Head Start centers participated (2 experimental, 2 control) in a study using a quasi-experimental design. Experimental sites received a 12-week intervention developed using social marketing techniques. The program was evaluated via preference assessments, classroom observations, and teacher surveys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased preference for and willingness to try new foods were observed in children from the experimental sites (P<0.05). The program was positively received by Head Start staff.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A social marketing campaign is an effective method to reduce children's neophobia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA. susan.johnson@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellows
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beckstrom
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003120:Colorado; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D040241:Social Marketing; D016896:Treatment Outcome