色花堂app

Perhaps the key to getting elementary school children to eat their vegetables is to have them grow the vegetables first. That鈥檚 the gist of a research study carried out by former 色花堂app master of public health (MPH) student Jessica McAleese.

The results of McAleese鈥檚 study completed at three Pocatello elementary schools are so intriguing that her research results will be published in the April 2007 issue of Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The article 鈥淕arden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Sixth-Grade Adolescents鈥� is co-authored by Dr. Linda Rankin, ISU associate professor of health and nutrition sciences. Rankin was McAleese鈥檚 major advisor while she was in graduate school. McAleese earned her MPH last spring and is now a patient advocate for the Portneuf Medical Center.

鈥淛essica master鈥檚 thesis is one of best I鈥檝e had during the 16 years that I鈥檝e been at ISU,鈥� Rankin said. 鈥� The scope of her research was amazing and the results speak for themselves 鈥� it鈥檚 unusual and an honor for the results of a master鈥檚 student鈥檚 work to be published in a major scientific journal.鈥�

McAleese completed her study in 2005. It鈥檚 stated purpose 鈥渨as to investigate the effects garden-based nutrition education had on adolescents鈥� preferences towards fruits and vegetables as well as their consumption of fruits and vegetables.鈥� McAleese tracked 122 sixth graders for 12 weeks at three different schools. Students at all three schools received pre- and post-testing about vegetable/fruit consumption, which included surveys designed to measure food preferences and food consumption. The schools were comprised of a control that received no nutrition education, and two 鈥渢reatment groups.鈥� Both treatment groups received nutrition education, using the guide 鈥淣utrition in the Garden鈥� developed at Texas A&M University. However, only one school participated in gardening activities.

鈥淏asically, the school that had the gardening program as part of its nutrition-education curriculum had significant increases in fruit and vegetable consumption, and intake of fiber and vitamins A and C,鈥� McAleese said. 鈥淚 was really excited, not just to see the results of the study, but to see how excited the kids became about healthy food and healthy eating.鈥�

Kids at the school that included both the nutrition education and gardening activities were able to help grow and harvest vegetables grown in a garden on private property a half-block away from the school. The students visited the garden at least once a week.  The garden had two raised strawberry beds, a large herb garden and vegetables grown included potatoes, corn, peppers, peas, beans, squash, greens, broccoli, tomatoes, kohlrabi, cantaloupe, cucumbers, sunflowers and more. 

The additional nutrition programming that the 鈥済arden鈥� school kids received included hands-on as well as academic lessons. The hands-on programming included a wide variety of activities as routine as making and eating salads, to as diverse as having a 鈥渟pa day鈥� that included giving and receiving pumpkin facials. Students were also taught how to cook and prepare healthy vegetables, from corn on the cob to multi-ingredient salsa.

鈥淎ll of the sudden it was really cool for them to eat a carrot or lettuce because they had been involved in growing and harvesting them,鈥� McAleese said. 鈥淚t was exciting to be part of that evolution of thought by the students.鈥�

At the completion of the study, McAleese and Rankin, with the help of ISU statistical consultant Teri Peterson did a comprehensive statistical analysis of the study鈥檚 data.鈥淭he results help demonstrate the necessity of hands-on activities when attempting to change nutrition-related behavior such as fruit and vegetable consumption, 鈥� McAleese said. 鈥淲hile further research is needed, it鈥檚 heartening to speculate that garden-based nutrition education, when implemented during a child鈥檚 or adolescent9;s early years, may be one small tool with tremendous impact.鈥�

McAleese and Rankin previously presented the results of the research at ISU Kasiska College of Health Professions 色花堂app Day in 2005, the Idaho Conference on Health Care in October 2005 and at the American Dietetic Association annual meeting in October 2005.

The Web site for the Journal of the American Dietetic Association is www.adajournal.org/.

For more information about ISU health and nutrition sciences or MPH programs, visit www.isu.edu/kchp/.