5-a-Day Power Plus

Principal Investigators
Cheryl L. Perry, PhD, University of Minnesota
Donald B. Bishop, PhD, Minnesota Department of Health

Funding
National Cancer Institute

Objective
A randomized school-based trial that sought to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among children using a multi-component approach.

Methods
The intervention conducted in 20 elementary schools in St. Paul, targeted a multiethnic group of children who were in the fourth grade in spring 1995 and the fifth grade in fall 1995. The intervention consisted of behavioral curricula in classrooms, parental involvement, school food service changes, and industry support and involvement. Lunchroom observations and 24-hour food recalls measured food consumption. Parent telephone surveys and a health behavior questionnaire measured psychosocial factors.

Results
The intervention increased lunchtime fruit consumption and combine fruit and vegetable consumption, lunchtime vegetable consumption among girls, and daily fruit consumption as well as the proportion of total daily calories attributable to fruits and vegetables.

Conclusion
Multi-component school-based programs can increase fruit and vegetable consumption among children. Greater involvement of parents and more attention to increasing vegetable consumption, especially among boys, remain challenges in future intervention research.

Materials
The 5-A-Day curriculum materials are available to download, along with an implementation manual, at the NCI Research Tested intervention Programs website:

http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/rtips

Publications
Perry CL, Bishop DB, Taylor G, et al. Changing fruit and vegetable consumption among children: the 5-a-day power plus program in St. Paul, Minnesota. American Journal of Public Health (1998) 88:603-609.