title: Positive impact of a pre-school-based nutritional intervention on children's fruit and vegetable intake: results of a cluster-randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the short-term impact of a nutritional intervention aimed at reducing childhood overweight in German pre-school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cluster-randomized study design with waiting-list controls, we tested a 6-month intervention administered once weekly by a nutrition expert consisting of joint meal preparation and activities for children and parents such as tasting and preparing nutritious, fresh foods. At baseline, 6 and 12 months, a parent-completed questionnaire assessed fruit and vegetable intakes (primary outcomes) and water and sugared drinks consumption (secondary outcomes). Direct measurement assessed BMI, skinfold thickness and waist-to-height-ratio. An intention-to-treat analysis used random-effects panel regression models to assess the intervention effect, adjusted for each child's age, gender, immigrant background and maternal education.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen pre-schools from three south German regions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy children aged 3-6 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and seventy-seven (80 %) eligible pre-school children participated in the study. Of these, 348 provided sufficient data for analysis. The sample mean age was 4·26 (sd 0·78) years; the majority (53·2 %) were boys. Children's fruit and vegetable intakes increased significantly (P < 0·001 and P < 0·05, respectively); no significant changes in the consumption of water, sugared drinks or anthropometric measurements were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nutritional interventions in pre-schools have the potential to change eating behaviours in young children, which in the long term might reduce risk for developing overweight.
authors.affiliation: Competence Center for Social Medicine and Occupational Health Promotion, Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Ludolf-Krehl-Strasse 7-11, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany. freia.debock@medma.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Freia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Bock
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breitenstein
authors.forename: Joachim E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004326:Drinking; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D005858:Germany; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010290:Parents; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose