TEENS:
Teens Eating for Energy and Nutrition at School

Principal Investigators
Leslie A. Lytle, PhD, University of Minnesota

Funding
National Cancer Institute

Objective
A school-based, group-randomized trial that evaluated school-environment, classroom, and family interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake and decrease fat intake of low-income young adolescents to reduce their future risk of cancer.

Methods
TEENS was implemented during a two-year period with cohort students in middle and junior high schools. The study was conducted in 16 schools, half were randomly assigned to the comparison condition and half to the intervention condition. The intervention consisted of behaviorally-based curricula with peer-led classroom activities ("Parent Packs"), intervention-related messages and activities mailed home, and School Nutrition Advisory Councils made up of teachers, parents, and students with a goal of developing policy practices that would enhance the healthfulness of the school food environment. Four incremental exposures were possible: (1) control group, (2) school environment interventions-only, (3) classroom plus environment intervention, and (4) peer leaders plus classroom plus environment interventions.

Results
Patterns suggesting dose response were observed, with peer leaders reporting the largest increases in fruit, vegetable, and lower fat food consumptions. Students exposed to classroom plus environment interventions also improved, whereas students exposed only to school environment interventions showed trends towards choosing lower fat foods and declining fruit intake and no change in vegetable intake. Control students’ choices remained stable.

Conclusion
Future studies may investigate mechanisms for peer leader’ changes, maximizing curriculum effectiveness, and improving environmental interventions.

Materials
Download TEENS curricula and classroom/family materials.

Publications
Birnbaum AS, Lytle LA, Story M, Perry CL, Murray DM. Are differences in exposure to a multi-component school-based intervention associated with varying dietary outcomes among adolescents? Health Education & Behavior. 2002;29(4):427-443.