5-a-day Power Plus: process evaluation of a multicomponent elementary school program to increase fruit and vegetable...

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health Interventions
• Childhood Obesity Prevention

Background:

• Childhood fruit and vegetable consumption remains suboptimal.
• Effective interventions are needed to promote healthy eating habits in school-aged children.
• The 5-a-Day Power Plus program aimed to address this gap in urban elementary schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the 5-a-Day Power Plus program.
• To assess factors influencing fruit and vegetable intake among multiethnic students.
• To identify areas for improvement in future nutrition interventions.

Main Methods:

• A multi-component intervention involving classroom curricula, parental involvement, and school food service changes.
• Process evaluation using surveys and observations to assess implementation fidelity and participation.
• Comparison between 10 intervention schools and 10 control schools.

Main Results:

• High participation, dose, and fidelity were observed for most intervention components.
• Parental involvement was an exception, showing lower engagement.
• Increased fruit and vegetable consumption was primarily observed during school lunch.

Conclusions:

• The 5-a-Day Power Plus program demonstrated successful implementation in schools, leading to increased fruit and vegetable intake during lunch.
• Limited parental involvement hindered home-based consumption increases.
• Future research should prioritize innovative strategies for parental engagement and enhancing vegetable appeal and availability.