title: The impact of a school garden and cooking program on boys' and girls' fruit and vegetable preferences, taste rating, and intake.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in the impact of a school garden and nutrition curriculum on fruit and vegetable intake, willingness to taste, and taste ratings in 127 children (11 to 12 years, 54% boys) in regional New South Wales, Australia. Classes were assigned to wait-list control, nutrition education only (NE), or nutrition education plus garden (NE + G) groups. Carrot taste rating was the only vegetable for which there was a significant gender difference, with girls rating it more highly (p = .04). There were no significant gender differences in fruit and vegetable consumption or willingness to taste scores for any other vegetables. There was a group effect (p < .001) for overall willingness to taste, overall taste rating, and the taste rating of pea and broccoli (p < .001), tomato (p = .03), and lettuce (p = .02). In the post hoc analysis by gender, both boys and girls in NE + G and NE groups were more willing to taste vegetables compared with control boys and girls postintervention (p < .001, p = .02). Boys in the NE + G group were more willing to taste all vegetables overall compared with NE boys at posttest (p = .05) and this approached significance for girls (p = .07). For overall tasting scores, a group effect was seen in girls only (p = .05). No significant treatment-time effect was found for vegetable intake in either gender. Further research is needed to examine whether a school garden, with or without school curriculum components, can be used to optimize fruit and vegetable intakes, particularly in boys.
authors: University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Rachael L
authors: RL
authors: Jaenke
authors: Clare E
authors: CE
authors: Collins
authors: Philip J
authors: PJ
authors: Morgan
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: Lubans
authors: Kristen L
authors: KL
authors: Saunders
authors: Janet M
authors: JM
authors: Warren
mesh_terms: D003296:Cooking; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D051639:Gardening / Q000193:education*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013649:Taste; D014675:Vegetables