摘要：Objective: A garden-based nutrition education program was developed to increase the fruit and vegetable intake among 6-to-12-year old children in an after-school setting in southern California. It was hypothesized that the intervention would increase intake and preference for fruits and vegetables. Methods: A 4-month curriculum using social cognitive theory was developed for participants at a Boys and Girls Club. A pre and post-test validated survey assessed measured fruit and vegetable intake and participants' height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. We pilot tested an observational method of assessing snack preference. Results: Forty participants completed the study, 83% of which were Hispanic. Significant results were found in fruit and vegetable servings consumed daily (p<0.05). Self-reported scores for daily fruit servings increased from 2.23±4.18 to 4.13±2.16. Self-reported scores for daily vegetable servings increased from 2.17±1.82 to 3.07±1.87. Upward trends were shown in fruit and vegetable snack preference. Conclusions and Implications: No other garden-based nutrition education interventions have targeted primarily Hispanic youth in an extramural setting. Continued research using SCT curricula and quantitative measurements is warranted
关键词：nutrition; school-aged children; after-school programs; fruits and vegetables; social cognitive theory
