Ethnic differences in 1-year follow-up effect of the Dutch Schoolgruiten Project – promoting fruit and vegetable consumption among primary-school children

To evaluate the effect of a primary school-based intervention providing free fruit and vegetables (F&V), separately for children of Dutch and of non-Western ethnicity. Primary schools in two regions (west and east) in The Netherlands. Participating schoolchildren and their parents completed questionnaires at baseline and 1 year later, including questions on usual F&V intake, potential determinants and general demographics. Primary outcomes were the usual fruit intake and the usual vegetable intake as assessed by parent- and child self-reported food frequency measures. Secondary outcome measures were child- or parent-reported taste preference, knowledge of daily recommendations, availability, and accessibility for fruit intake. Multilevel regression analyses were used to assess differences at follow-up adjusted for baseline values between the control and intervention group using both child and parent reports. Five hundred and sixty-five children of Dutch ethnicity and 388 children of non-Western ethnicity (mean age 9.9 years at baseline) and their parents. Children of non-Western ethnicity in the intervention group reported a significantly higher vegetable intake (difference = 20.7 g day-1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.6-33.7). A significant positive intervention effect was also found for fruit intake for children of Dutch ethnicity (difference = 0.23 pieces day-1, 95% CI = 0.07-0.39). No significant effects in intake were observed based on parent reports. Significant positive intervention effects were also found for perceived accessibility among children of non-Western ethnicity, as well as for parent-reported taste preference of their child among children of non-Western ethnicity and boys of Dutch ethnicity. Providing children with free F&V had some positive effects on child-reported intakes and important correlates of intakes.