Girl scouting: an effective channel for nutrition education

Community youth groups may provide an untapped channel for nutrition education. Children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake is one-half of the 5 A Day goal. This study evaluated the effect of a 4-week, theory-based F&V nutrition program for fourth to sixth-grade Junior Girl Scouts. Twenty-two troops were recruited, stratified by grade level, and randomized into intervention or control conditions. Intervention condition troop leaders received a manual and instruction on how to conduct the activities. F&V intake and measures assessing knowledge, skills, F&V preferences, self-efficacy, norms, and barriers were completed 1 week before and about 1 week after the intervention was completed. F&V intake was also assessed 3 months later. Pretest F&V intake for the 259 girls was 2.60 servings per day - 3.0 for the intervention group. Significant increases in F&V intake (to 3.4 servings per day), knowledge, and F&V preferences were found for the intervention condition troops. F&V intake returned to pretest levels 3 months later. This study indicates that social groups can provide a channel for nutrition education. Although increased F&V was not sustained, booster lessons and troop commitment to serving F&V could promote positive norms and social support for eating F&V, leading to increased F&V consumption.