Txt4HappyKids: Using text messaging to promote fruit and vegetable intake among low‐income families with young children, a pilot study

Abstract Cooking is a complex behavior associated with more frequent and nutrient-dense family meals. The Cook Together, Eat Together (CTET) social marketing program used formative, process, and outcome evaluations over a 3-year period to design a program to increase fruit and vegetable intake and frequency of family meals. We used a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design with a nonequivalent comparison group to evaluate fruit and vegetable intake and family meals. Eight focus groups of mothers in low-income families with young children revealed two predominant behavioral mediators: (i) importance of family time and (ii) desire for children to learn to cook and become self-sufficient adults. Program design was grounded in formative evaluation and organized by the four Ps of social marketing: (i) product—learning to prepare healthy meals while teaching children to cook; (ii) price—lowered by reducing barriers of food cost, kitchen clean-up, meal planning, grocery shopping; (iii) placement—in neighborhood gathering places with a “cooking social”; and (iv) promotion—flyers, newsletters, and social media. Outcome indicators were assessed pre/post intervention with questions from instruments validated for the audience. Significant changes (n = 68, p ≥ .002, Bonferroni adjustment for p = .05, Cohen’s d = .50 medium effect size) were found in consumption of fruits and vegetables with an average increase of half cup each per day. CTET participation significantly increased fruits and vegetables served and eaten at family meals. A social marketing approach can help families with young children increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

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Feeding Style Differences in Food Parenting Practices Associated With Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Children From Low-income Families

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.jneb.2013.05.007 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 45 (6) ◽

pp. 643-651 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Maria A. Papaioannou ◽

Matthew B. Cross ◽

Thomas G. Power ◽

Yan Liu ◽

Haiyan Qu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Feeding Style ◽

Low Income Families

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Analysing capabilities and resources used to incorporate fruit and vegetables into the family diet: findings from an Australian case study

Critical Dietetics ◽

10.32920/cd.v2i1.774 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Samantha B Meyer

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Fruit And Vegetables ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Organizational Skills ◽

Australian Case ◽

Low Income Families ◽

Conducting Research

Research attributes low fruit and vegetable consumption to problems of access, availability and affordability. We conducted, for the first time, a case study with three families designed and analysed using the sustainable Livelihoods Framework. The benefit of such an approach is that we moved away from identified barriers and towards identifying the capabilities and resources low-income families use to incorporate fruit and vegetables into their diets. Mitigating cost and access, we provided families with a box of fresh fruit and vegetables free of charge for up to 10 weeks and observed and recorded how/if the contents were used. Results identify the importance of social networking, organizational skills, knowledge of health benefits, and social structures. This paper demonstrates an effective methodology for understanding the capabilities of, rather than barriers to, low-income families increasing fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, we provide a ‘how to’ and ‘lessons from the field’ for researchers interested in conducting research of this nature.

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Improving low‐income parents' fruit and vegetable intake and their potential to impact children's nutrition

Health Education ◽

10.1108/09654281111161220 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 111 (5) ◽

pp. 391-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Michael Prelip ◽

Chan Le Thai ◽

Jennifer Toller Erausquin ◽

Wendy Slusser

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Children's Nutrition

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Determinants of fruit and vegetable intake in low-income children and adolescents

Nutrition Reviews ◽

10.1111/nure.12126 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 72 (9) ◽

pp. 575-590 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Jennifer Di Noia ◽

Carol Byrd-Bredbenner

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Low Income ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Low Income Children

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Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Children by Level of Variety, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013–2016

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa043_057 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 206-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M Katherine Hoy ◽

John Clemens ◽

Carrie Martin ◽

Alanna Moshfegh

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Dietary Intake ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Percentage Contribution ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Very Young Children ◽

Food Patterns ◽

Side Dishes

Abstract Objectives To describe and compare fruit and vegetable intake by level of variety among children in What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES. Methods One-day dietary intake data of children 2–19 years (N = 5920) in WWEIA, NHANES 2013–2016 were used. Fruit and vegetable (FV) variety was the count of foods consumed that contributed to total FV intake. To be counted, at least 0.1 cup equivalent (CE) FV of each single FV item and 0.2 CE FV from a mixed dish had to have been consumed. Each FV was counted only once; a mixed dish counted as one. The Food Patterns Equivalents Database was used to determine the CE of FV intake. Individuals were classified for variety of intake as High (H) (5 + items); Moderate (M) (3–4 items); Low (L) (1–2 items). Percentage contribution of WWEIA Food Categories to FV intake was estimated. Differences in FV intakes between variety levels were compared by t-test. Those with a count of ‘0’ (N = 466) were excluded. Results Percentage of children in each variety level was: H: 15, M: 33; L: 44; none: 8%. Mean FV intakes (CE/1000 kcal) by variety level were H: 1.9; M: 1.4; L: 0.8 (P < 0.001). Distributions of 2–5y, 6–11y and 12–19y, respectively among variety levels were: H: 18, 16, 13%; M: 40, 32, 30%; L: 37, 44, 48%; none: 6, 8, 9%. For H, M, and L levels, respectively, fruit variety counts were 2.5, 1.5, and 0.5, and vegetable variety counts were 3.5, 2, and 1 (P < 0.001). Among all 2–19y, single FV items (excl 100% juice) contributed 64% to FV intake of the H vs M (55%) and L (50%), whereas Mixed Dishes contributed 12% to intake of H vs M (15%) and L (21%). The percentages of H, M and L groups reporting intake from WWEIA Food Categories were 89, 65 and 40 for Vegetables; 86, 65, and 35 for Fruit; and 79, 79, and 77 for Mixed Dishes. Conclusions FV variety was highest for very young children and lowest among adolescents. Children with more variety of FV intake were more likely to include single FV and in higher amounts than those with less FV variety. These results support suggestions for boosting FV intake of children by encouraging their consumption at snacks and including vegetable side dishes at meals. Funding Sources ARS-USDA.

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Mother-Related Determinants of Children At-Home Fruit and Vegetable Dietary Patterns in a Polish National Sample

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11123398 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 3398 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Barbara Groele ◽

Dominika Głąbska ◽

Krystyna Gutkowska ◽

Dominika Guzek

Keyword(s):

Marital Status ◽

Low Income ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

National Sample ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Level Of Education ◽

At Home

Fruit and vegetable intake is indicated among the features of sustainable diets, while children’s intake is strongly associated with the intake of their parents, as well as the availability of food products and their accessibility at home. The aim of the study was to analyze the mother-related determinants of children at-home fruit and vegetable dietary patterns in a Polish national sample of children aged 3–10 years. The random quota sampling (with quotas for age, education, and place of residence) was conducted to recruit the national representative sample of Polish mothers of children aged 3–10 years (n = 1200) who were interviewed using a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) method. They were asked about their children’s at-home fruit and vegetable dietary patterns, which were later compared in sub-groups that were stratified for age, educational background, marital status, place of residence, occupational status, and total net income in households. The indicated features, but not marital status, were indicated as determinants of children at-home fruit and vegetable dietary patterns. Children of younger mothers more often than others consumed fruits, whereas those of older mothers consumed vegetables. Children of mothers who had a lower level of education more commonly than others consumed fruits alone as a dish, and they had a higher preference for them, while those of mothers who had a higher level of education had a higher consumption of vegetables than others, although they had a medium preference for them. Children of mothers from villages had a lower consumption of vegetables and fruits than others, although they had a higher preference for fruits. Children of mothers with no professional job had a lower consumption of vegetables than others and more often consumed them processed, although they had a higher preference for fruits and vegetables. Children of mothers with low income had a lower consumption of vegetables than others and more often consumed fruits in a dish with other products, although they had a higher preference for fruits and vegetables. To summarize, an indication of a high preference for fruits and vegetables by mothers is not accompanied by the higher consumption and recommended dietary patterns for fruit and vegetable intake by their children. In particular, the sub-samples of mothers who had a low level of education, were from villages, did not have a professional job, and had low income may either overestimate the fruit and vegetable preference of their children or do not offer them sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables, although they indicate a higher preference. In order to encourage more sustainable diet following, in terms of the fruit and vegetable intake, it is essential to introduce actions toward the properly planned nutritional education for the indicated target groups.

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