title: USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Is More Effective in Town and Rural Schools Than Those in More Populated Communities.
abstract: We attempted to determine effects of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) on variety and frequency of fruit and vegetable intake by students in schools from different locales.
  
  
  
  Data were derived from the 2011-2012 Indiana FFVP Student Survey completed by 4229 fourth-sixth graders. Effects were studied within 2 groups, 39 city and suburb schools, and 12 town and rural schools. Differences in students' responses over time to 2 items measuring variety and 10 items measuring fruit and vegetable intake frequency were determined with multilevel regression models.
  
  
  
  Town and rural students were 1.2 times more likely to eat different kinds of fruit (p = .04) and vegetables (p = .01) daily, and increased fruit (+1.0 time/day; p < .01) and vegetable intake frequency (+0.5 times/day; p = .03). City and suburb students increased fruit intake frequency (∼0.8 times/day; p < .01) but not vegetable intake frequency or daily variety (p > .05).
  
  
  
  FFVP improved fruit and vegetable eating behaviors in the "town and rural" group, but was only partially effective in the "city and suburb" group. Strategies to implement FFVP may need to differ depending on school locale.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University, School of Public Health, 1025 East 7th St., PH 116, Bloomington, IN 47405. lin42@umail.iu.edu.
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Indiana University, School of Public Health, 1025 East 7th St., PH 116, Bloomington, IN 47405. afly@indiana.edu.
authors.forename: Alyce D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Fly
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005638:Fruit; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D008297:Male; D044469:Racial Groups; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States; D016885:United States Department of Agriculture / Q000592:standards; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: child and adolescent health; fruit and vegetable consumption; nutrition and diet