An Evaluation of the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in Wisconsin Schools

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An Evaluation of the USDA Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program in Wisconsin Schools
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An Evaluation of the USDA Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program in Wisconsin Schools

• Anjali Anand
• Emily Brown
• Jason Haluska
• Beth Lutz
• John Rodgers
• UW-Eau Claire
• Undergraduate Students

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Overview

• Collaborative research
• Childhood obesity/nutrition
• Schools can make a difference
• Fresh fruit and vegetable program
• Evaluation process
• Baseline data
• Preliminary Analysis
• Future Plans

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Childhood Obesity/Nutrition

• 16 of children between the ages of 6-19 (over 9
  million) are overweight more than triple 1980,
  with an additional 14.8 at risk of becoming
  overweight.
• Less than 40 meet the dietary guidelines for
  saturated fat.
• Almost 80 do not eat the recommended number of
  servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Five to nine servings per day

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Childhood Obesity

• During the transition from middle school or
  junior high to high school, teens decreased their
  intake of fruits and vegetables by almost 1
  serving per day
• Roughly 4 servings to 3 servings for girls and
  2.5 to fewer than 2 servings for boys.
• Mid-adolescent girls in 2004 consumed almost one
  serving/day less of fruits and vegetables than
  girls the same age in 1999, while boys were also
  eating about a half serving less in 2004 than in
  1999.
• University of Minnesota, American Journal of
  Preventive Medicine

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Schools Can Make a Difference

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  (CDC) advocates raising fruit and vegetable
  consumption in order to address the issues of
  overweight and obesity among children.
• Given that children spend much of their day in
  school, the school environment could be the ideal
  place to begin exploring possible solutions.

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Schools Can Make a Difference

• Lessening unhealthy food choices in schools
  increases fruit and vegetable consumption and
  school lunch participation.
• Lowering the price of healthy choices increases
  consumption of healthy food items in lunch a la
  carte and vending machines.
• French and Wechsler 2004, Preventative Medicine
• CDC Healthy Youth

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Schools Can Make a Difference

• One third of students opted for vegetables
  compared to less than 5 of those at the
  comparison school not receiving nutrition
  education in evaluation of a salad bar project.
• While the salad bar makes fruits and vegetable
  more available for the students, an educational
  component is critical for influencing student
  behaviors and eating habits. An elementary
  student may not try a new food on his own, but
  exposure plus education can affect real change.
• Loyola University and University of Illinois
  research
• Food Research Action Center (FRAC)

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WI Fresh Fruit Vegetable Program
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WI Fresh Fruit Vegetable Program
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WI Fresh Fruit Vegetable Program

• At Parent Teacher Conferences we set up tables
  with 17 fruits and 11 veggies everything from
  passion fruit, melons, grapes, papaya, jicama
  root, radishes, cabbage, spinach and
  cauliflower.
• We had comments like I never bought Kiwi because
  I didnt know what to do with it and I have
  never eaten a blueberry before. I like them!
• A new chef in the classroom series has
  professional chefs come to school two Mondays a
  month to engage students in the pleasures of
  local food and cooking as part of farm-to-school
  program, Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch.
• Mango Gazpacho

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WI Fresh Fruit Vegetable Program

• Unique partnerships

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Program Evaluation

• Pre-program survey March 2006 (4th, 7th, 9th)
• Program survey I May, June 2006 (4th, 7th, 9th)
• Program survey II March 2007 (5th, 8th, 10th)
• 25 Program and 15 control schools
• Food service, teacher, parent surveys
• Focus groups and interviews

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Program Evaluation

• Increase fruit and vegetable awareness and
  consumption through exposure and education.
  Attitudes, knowledge, behavior.
• Show program to be an effective method of
  introducing children to fresh fruits and
  vegetables as a healthy food alternative.
• Results will be reported to the USDA and the U.S.
  Congress to secure further funding for this
  project in Wisconsin.

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Program Evaluation

• Other limited studies of FFV program show some
  success
• Mississippi
• British Columbia
• Norway
• Texas
• Iowa

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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable Consumption

• 2 day average from daily recall on survey
• Over reporting is an issue
• Servings vs of Times?
• Day vs Week?
• Lack of concentration?
• Accuracy and validity of responses?

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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable Consumption
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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable Consumption
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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable Consumption
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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable Consumption
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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable Consumption by
Grade and Gender
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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable
ConsumptionDifferences in Means
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Average Daily Fruit Vegetable
ConsumptionDifferences in Means
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Treatment and Control Group Characteristics
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Treatment and Control Group Characteristics
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Willingness to Try Fruits and Vegetables
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Willingness to Try Fruits and Vegetables
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Positive Change in Fruit Vegetable Attitudes

• Calculate move in positive direction
• Not willing to might be willing or willing
• Might be willing to willing
• Dummy variable
• Mean gives with positive attitude change

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Positive Change in Fruit Vegetable
AttitudesProgram Effect
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Positive Change in Fruit Vegetable
AttitudesProgram Effect
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Positive Change in Fruit Vegetable
AttitudesProgram Effect
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Positive Change in Fruit Vegetable Behavior

• More problematic due to over reporting
• Limit to 10 or less
• Group by group comparison (outliers)
• Low pre-test consumption (0, 1, 2)
• Ideas?

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Positive Change in Fruit Vegetable Behavior
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Positive Change in Fruit Vegetable Behavior
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Positive Change ? Program Effect

• Incorporate regression analysis
• Measure program intensity
• Data entry, round three
• Food service data
• Parent and teacher surveys
• Focus groups

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Positive Change ? Program Effect

• Does FV consumption increase?
• Is effect larger for some subgroups at risk,
  younger?
• Are children more willing to try FV as snacks?
• Do children ask parents to purchase more FV?
• What methods of distribution are effective?
• What is the role of educational activities?

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Positive Change ? Program Effect

• Report to USDA and U.S. Congress
• Legislative Farm Bill for future funding
• United Fresh Produce Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Department of Health and Family Services
• Department of Public Instruction
• Grant proposals for local interventions

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Mango Gazpacho