Fruit and vegetable intake at and away from school during participation in the FIT Game

Abstract

Background: The FIT Game is a multicomponent school-based incentive program aimed at increasing children’s fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. There has been no previous report on how playing the game at school influences FV intake away from school. Aim: To examine children’s ( n=37) FV intake away from school while participating in the FIT Game program at school. Methods: FV intake away from school was assessed using the ASA24-Kids-2014 Dietary Assessment Tool. Paired samples t-tests and the generalized linear model repeated measures analysis of variance were used to examine the difference in children’s mean FV intake away from school. Results: During the final three days of the FIT Game intervention, we observed no change in FV consumption away from school (p=0.30). Similarly, no differences were observed between FV intake away from school before the implementation of the FIT Game and during the final three days (p=0.81). Conclusions: The FIT Game modestly decreased the children’s FV intake in a nonstatistically significant manner away from school. Our previous report showed an increase in children’s FV intake at school; thus, the net effect of the game was a significant increase in total daily FV intake.