Evaluation of a Nutrition Intervention through a School-Based Food Garden to Improve Dietary Consumption, Habits and Practices in Children from the Third to Fifth Grade in Chile

Abstract

<i>Objective</i> : Use a school-based food garden as an instrument to improve healthy dietary consumption, habits, and practices among children from the third to fifth grade in public schools in Chile. <i>Design</i> : Quasi-experimental, six-month intervention with an evaluation of dietary consumption, habits, and practices and use of the school-based food garden among the 3rd to 5th grade students. <i>Setting</i> : Two municipal schools in a low-middle income district in Santiago de Chile; one with a school garden intervention and a control school without a garden. <i>Subjects</i> : 155 third to fifth grade children, 63 in the intervention school and 92 in the control school (average age 10 years old, 58% boys). <i>Results</i> : In the intervened school, there was a significant improvement in the children’s dietary habits, such as peeling and slicing fruit (p < 0.05), making sandwiches (p < 0.05), and increased motivation to cook (p < 0.05). Fruit purchases at the school rose from 4% to 37% (p < 0.05) by the end of the intervention. Interest in growing vegetables or fruits at home increased from 48% to 70% (p < 0.05). The school children at the intervention school significantly increased their knowledge about 16 of 21 garden crops (p < 0.05), expanding the spectrum of the vegetables they can consume. There were no significant changes in the control school. Conclusions : The school-based food garden was effective in achieving change in dietary habits and practices among the third to fifth grade children. The project should be carried out for a longer period of time, so that the changes will be reflected in the students’ food consumption and nutritional status.