Navigation
A longitudinal intervention to improve young children’s liking and consumption of new foods: findings from the Colorado LEAP study
Johnson et. al (2019) reported the findings of the Colorado Longitudinal Eating and Physical Activity (LEAP) Study, which was an intervention aimed at improving children’s liking and consumption of a target food via repeated exposure and positive experiential learning. There was consistent evidence supporting the use of repeated exposure to improve liking for new foods but Johnson et. al (2019) believes there is not much information on longitudinal effects lasting greater than 6 months. This quasi-experimental study targeted four sites in rural Colorado (2 intervention and 2 control sites) that housed Head Start preschool programs and matched on state vital statistics for childhood obesity rates. A total of 250 children and families took part (41% Hispanic, 69% low-income), with 143 involved in the intervention and the other 107 in the control group. There were 4 time points used in this study: baseline; post-intervention; one-year (Y1) and two-year (Y2) follow ups. The intervention was called “Food Friends – Fun With New Foods”, was delivered by trained preschool teachers, lasted 12-weeks, and focused on positive and repeated experiences with new foods, while a 5-month (1 unit/month) social marketing “booster program” was delivered in kindergarten (one-year follow up) and 1st grade (two-year follow up). The intervention overall was found to be delivered with good fidelity (87%). An increase in liking for the target food was observed for both intervention and control groups over time (p = 0.0001) but the change in intake between baseline and post-intervention was significantly greater in the intervention group compared to the control (p<0.0001). This trend disappeared when intake between baseline and Y2 follow up was compared. The pattern of consumption of the target food was different over time for both intervention and control groups (p<0.005). Moreover, children in the intervention group who liked the target food consumed nearly double their baseline consumption at post-intervention (p < 0.0001) and maintained this increase at Y2 follow up (p < 0.0001). The researchers conclude this study claiming the Food Friends intervention saw larger improvements in children’s eating behaviors than would be expected with developmentally-based changes in dietary behaviors. [NPID: behavior, Colorado, physical activity, food exposure, experiential learning, preschool, obesity, childhood obesity, low income, hispanic, kindergarten]
Year: 2019
