Aim
The initiative aimed to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables among parents with primary school-aged children.
Objectives
To effect changes in the predisposing factors for fruit and vegetable consumption such as knowledge, attitutdes, self-efficacy and barriers to consumption.
Summary
The Eat It To Beat It program is a multi-strategy community based intervention run between 2008 and 2011 in the Hunter region of NSW. The program included five strategies to effect changes in predisposing factors for fruit and vegetable consumption. These strategies were: Fruit & Veg $ense – an education program delivered
by trained community peer educators; Fruit & Vegie Drive – a trial of a fruit and vegetable fundraiser box; Shopping centre cooking demonstrations; Fruit ‘n’ Veg Month – a campaign for primary schools; and Communication strategy – included local print media, school newsletters, and The Star Fruit and Veg challenge. A comprehensive evaluation of Eat It To Beat It demonstrated some successful outcomes for the program. The evaluation included process evaluation of all strategies, a randomised controlled trial of the Fruit & Veg $ense program and an overall outcome evaluation. The outcome evaluation used pre- and post-intervention Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews with parents of primary school-aged children (Kindergarten to Year 6) in the Hunter intervention region and the New England control region. Eat It To Beat It increased mean consumption of fruit and vegetable by 0.51 serves, as well as significantly increased fruit and vegetable knowledge of daily recommended serves and serve size and significantly decreased perceived barriers to consumption. However, these results did not translate into overall behaviour change across the population.