title: Does the school fruit and vegetable scheme improve children's diet? A non-randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the impact on diet of the school fruit and vegetable scheme (SFVS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Non-randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infant and primary schools in the north of England.
  
  
  METHODS
  3,703 children aged four to six years (reception, year 1, and year 2).
  
  
  METHODS
  One portion of fruit or vegetable provided per child on each school day between February and December 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fruit and vegetables consumed and intake of nutrients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SFVS was associated with an increase in fruit intake across reception and year 1 pupils of 0.4 portions (95% confidence interval, 0.2 to 0.5) and 0.6 portions (0.4 to 0.9), respectively, at three months, which fell to 0.2 (0.1 to 0.4) and 0.3 (0.1 to 0.6) at seven months. In year 2 it was associated with an increase of 0.5 portions (0.2 to 0.7) of fruit at three months, which fell to baseline values at seven months when these children were no longer eligible for the scheme. Overall, at seven months there were no changes in vegetable consumption, no associations between the SFVS and energy, fat, or salt intake, and small changes in carotene and vitamin C intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SFVS promoted an increase in fruit intake after three months. At seven months the effect remained significant but reduced, and it returned to baseline in year 2 when pupils were no longer part of the scheme. There was a small impact on the intake of some nutrients across the children surveyed.
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Epidemiology Group, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Leeds, 30-32 Hyde Terrace, Leeds LS2 9LN, United Kingdom. j.k.ransley@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ransley
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cade
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blenkinsop
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schagen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Teeman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schagen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D012574:Schools; D014675:Vegetables