ERIC Number: EJ987510
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Apr
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1981
EISSN: N/A
The Impact of a School Garden and Cooking Program on Boys' and Girls' Fruit and Vegetable Preferences, Taste Rating, and Intake
Jaenke, Rachael L.; Collins, Clare E.; Morgan, Philip J.; Lubans, David R.; Saunders, Kristen L.; Warren, Janet M.
Health Education & Behavior, v39 n2 p131-141 Apr 2012
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 = 0.04). 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 less than 0.001) for overall willingness to taste, overall taste rating, and the taste rating of pea and broccoli (p less than 0.001), tomato (p = 0.03), and lettuce (p = 0.02). 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 less than 0.001, p = 0.02). Boys in the NE + G group were more willing to taste all vegetables overall compared with NE boys at posttest (p = 0.05) and this approached significance for girls (p = 0.07). For overall tasting scores, a group effect was seen in girls only (p = 0.05). 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. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Eating Habits, Gardening, Food, Nutrition, Nutrition Instruction, Gender Differences, Cooking Instruction, Scores, Program Effectiveness, Health Promotion
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A