title: Evaluating the Impact of Six Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Interventions on Children's At-Home Diets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutrition education in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) is designed to promote healthy eating behaviors in a low-income target population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of six SNAP-Ed interventions delivered in child care centers or elementary school settings in increasing participating children's at-home fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption by 0.3 cups per day and use of fat-free or low-fat milk instead of whole or reduced-fat milk during the prior week.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clustered randomized or quasi-experimental clustered trials took place in child care centers or elementary schools between 2010 and 2012. Parents of children at intervention and control sites completed baseline and follow-up surveys about their child's at home F/V consumption and other dietary behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One of the six interventions was successful in meeting the objective of increasing children's F/V consumption by 0.3 cups per day. For three of the six interventions, there was a small but statistically significant increase in F/V consumption and/or use of low-fat or fat-free milk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although not all interventions were effective, these findings suggest that it is possible for some SNAP-Ed interventions to improve dietary habits among low-income children among some families. The effective interventions appear to have benefited from implementation experience and sustained efforts at intervention refinement and improvement.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Sheryl C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cates
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Blitstein
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hersey
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA kkosa@rti.org.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kosa
authors.affiliation: Altarum Institute, Portland, ME, USA.
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Alexandria, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Alexandria, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D063105:Food Assistance; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D012574:Schools
keywords: SNAP-Ed; child; milk; nutrition education; school; vegetables