title: Effect of Educational Intervention on the Fruit and Vegetables Consumption among the Students: Applying Theory of Planned Behavior.
abstract: The importance of consuming fruits and vegetables (F&V) in prevention of chronic diseases is known. Childhood play an important role in formation of healthy eating habits. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of education, with application of the theory of planned behavior, on improvement of F&V consumption.
  
  
  
  In this quasi-experimental study, 184 fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students participated were enrolled from Jan 2013 to Jun 2014. The samples were selected from 6 schools in Chalderan County, West Azerbaijan, Iran through cluster random sampling method. Two out of 6 schools were randomly selected and each was employed in either experimental or control group. The data collection instruments included a researcher-made questionnaire and a 24-h F&V recall. Data were collected after verification of the reliability and validity of the questionnaire.
  
  
  
  Before the intervention, no significant difference was observed between the intervention and control group regarding attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention and fruits and vegetables consumption (P>0.05). However, after the educational intervention, the mean scores of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention variables and fruits and vegetables were significantly higher in the intervention group when compared to the control group(P<0.05).
  
  
  
  Increased behavioral intention, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control can promote F&V consumption among the students.
authors.affiliation: Community-Based Participatory Research Center, Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviors, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Taghdisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education and Promotion, Student Research Committee, School of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. towhid.babazadeh70@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Towhid
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Babazadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Municipal Health in Tehran, Tehran Municipality, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.affiliation: Department of Municipal Health in Tehran, Tehran Municipality, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shariat
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D001382:Azerbaijan; D032763:Behavior Control; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005638:Fruit; D006184:Habits; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012574:Schools; D066262:Social Norms; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Educational intervention; Fruits; Students; Theory of planned behavior; Vegetables