Ethnic differences in 1-year follow-up effect of the Dutch Schoolgruiten Project - promoting fruit and vegetable consumption among primary-school children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a primary school-based intervention providing free fruit and vegetables (F&V), separately for children of Dutch and of non-Western ethnicity.


METHODS
Primary schools in two regions (west and east) in The Netherlands.


METHODS
Participating schoolchildren and their parents completed questionnaires at baseline and 1 year later, including questions on usual F&V intake, potential determinants and general demographics. Primary outcomes were the usual fruit intake and the usual vegetable intake as assessed by parent- and child self-reported food frequency measures. Secondary outcome measures were child- or parent-reported taste preference, knowledge of daily recommendations, availability, and accessibility for fruit intake. Multilevel regression analyses were used to assess differences at follow-up adjusted for baseline values between the control and intervention group using both child and parent reports.


METHODS
Five hundred and sixty-five children of Dutch ethnicity and 388 children of non-Western ethnicity (mean age 9.9 years at baseline) and their parents.


RESULTS
Children of non-Western ethnicity in the intervention group reported a significantly higher vegetable intake (difference = 20.7 g day-1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.6-33.7). A significant positive intervention effect was also found for fruit intake for children of Dutch ethnicity (difference = 0.23 pieces day-1, 95% CI = 0.07-0.39). No significant effects in intake were observed based on parent reports. Significant positive intervention effects were also found for perceived accessibility among children of non-Western ethnicity, as well as for parent-reported taste preference of their child among children of non-Western ethnicity and boys of Dutch ethnicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Providing children with free F&V had some positive effects on child-reported intakes and important correlates of intakes.
Tak
Nannah I
NI
EMGO Institute, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boerchorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Te Velde
Saskia J
SJ
Brug
Johannes
J
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005522:Food Services; D005638:Fruit / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012574:Schools; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables / Q000600:supply & distribution