Most interventions aimed at improving children’s dietary intakes have been school-based or community-based. Only 6.0% of Australian children consume the recommended two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables per day. In Australia and internationally children are not consuming the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Poor dietary behaviours, that include low F&V consumption are of particular concern among children. Intakes of fruits and vegetables (F&V) have become a proxy marker for healthy diets. Due to the continued high incidence of diet-related health problems, such as overweight, obesity, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among children and adults, the promotion of healthy eating continues to be a public health priority globally. Trial registered 14th December 2020 with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12620001347954).ĭiet is considered to be the single most important behavioural risk factor that can be improved, to have a significant positive impact on population health. Results will inform the design of future research and programs focused on primary-school children’s nutrition, sustainability-related behaviours and experiential school-based interventions. Results from this trial will provide valuable information on the value of adding environmental sustainability strategies to nutrition education in schools. Open-ended questions embedded within the surveys will be analysed qualitatively using content and thematic analyses. Intervention effects on quantitative study outcomes will be estimated with generalised linear mixed models, including random effects and will follow the intention-to-treat principles. An online survey (including quantitative and qualitative questions) was developed for administration at baseline (impact evaluation) and immediately post-intervention (impact and process evaluation). Process evaluation will assess program reach, adoption, implementation, maintenance, satisfaction and perceived benefits by teachers and students. Food literacy constructs such as: nutrition knowledge, food preparation and cooking skills, self-efficacy and behaviours, food waste knowledge and behaviours and food production knowledge, will be assessed as secondary outcomes. Primary outcomes include children’s self-reported F&V intakes (serves/day). FEAST was developed using theoretical frameworks which included Social Cognitive Theory and the Precede-Proceed Planning model. FEAST is a curriculum-aligned program, delivered as a 1.5-h lesson/week, for a 10-week unit of inquiry, incorporating theory and cooking. MethodsĪ pragmatic, parallel, cluster non-randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-measures, will be implemented among 20 primary schools (10 intervention vs 10 wait-list-control) within NSW, Australia, involving children in Grades 5–6. The purpose of this paper is to report the protocol for impact and process evaluation of the school-based Food Education and Sustainability Training (FEAST) program, designed to educate children about sustainability, food waste and nutrition, using hands-on cooking activities. Sustainability education could be used to support nutrition education within the school context. Novel nutrition promotion strategies are needed to improve F&V consumption. Poor dietary behaviours, including low fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption are of particular concern among children. The promotion of healthy eating is a public health priority.
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