Increasing Children's Vegetable Consumption: Translating a Review of the Evidence Base to Develop Best Practice...

Area of Science:

• Public Health Nutrition
• Behavioral Science
• Intervention Development

Background:

• Global dietary guidelines recommend vegetable consumption for health.
• Previous campaigns have shown limited success in increasing children's vegetable intake.
• Sustained increases in children's vegetable consumption remain a significant public health challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing scientific literature on effective interventions for increasing vegetable intake.
• To translate research findings into practical, best-practice guidelines for various stakeholders.
• To develop actionable resources to support the implementation of these guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a systematic literature review to identify effective intervention components.
• Utilized the Behavior Change Wheel framework to synthesize findings.
• Engaged stakeholders (childcare, schools, industry, government) through surveys and interviews.

Main Results:

• Developed 7 best-practice guidelines focusing on coordinated effort, planning, environmental changes, barrier reduction, feedback, and monitoring.
• Created tailored resources for different settings to support guideline implementation.
• Resources and tools are available at http://www.vegkit.com.au.

Conclusions:

• This study presents a novel approach by integrating research synthesis with practical translation for behavior change.
• The developed guidelines and resources aim to facilitate meaningful increases in children's vegetable intake.
• The methodology can inform future research translation efforts in public health nutrition.