A Comparative Intervention Study on Strategies for Fruit Distribution and Awareness Campaigns in Schools.

Karolinska Institute

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Fruit Consumption; Dietary Habits; Healthy Eating; Health Promotion; Schools; Dietary Behaviors

Treatments: Behavioral: Awareness Campaign; Behavioral: Fruit Stand Availability

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07385820

101104618 - PREVENT (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Dnr 2024-07536-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This implementation study evaluates two strategies to increase fruit consumption among Swedish students. (1) installing fruit stands in schools and (2) combining fruit stands with a health-awareness campaign. The intervention is implemented in a set of participating schools, each following one of the predefined strategies. Students are asked to use a research app to photograph their meals and snacks during three data-collection periods before, during, and after the intervention. The study collects information on fruit intake, eating patterns, and the number of fruits taken from the stands to assess effectiveness and reduce food waste. The aim is to identify which strategy better supports healthy eating habits in school environments.

Full description

This study is part of the PREVENT project, which aims to promote healthier dietary habits among students by improving access to fruits in school environments. The intervention is implemented in a set of participating schools, each assigned to one of the predefined strategies. The study examines whether providing fruit ad libitum during school hours influences students' snacking patterns, and whether an accompanying awareness campaign adds value beyond fruit availability alone.

In each participating school, fruit stands offering two types of fruit will be placed in central areas where students typically gather. Fruit will be available during periods when students have access to common spaces, and digital scales integrated into the stands will enable weight-based monitoring of fruit uptake. Designated school staff will photograph scale readings at the beginning, end, and one or more intermediate points during the day. These images will be processed using optical character recognition (OCR) to extract weight data and upload it to a secure backend system for automated monitoring of fruit distribution and potential food waste.

To evaluate students' eating behaviour and fruit consumption patterns, participating students will use a research mobile application to photograph their meals and snacks. Data collection takes place in three periods: (1) a baseline period prior to the introduction of fruit stands, (2) an early-intervention period immediately following the introduction of the stands, during which students continue to report all meals to capture short-term behavioural changes, and (3) a post-intervention period to assess sustained effects. The app records time and location metadata for each entry, allowing analysis of when and where food is consumed and how eating patterns change during the intervention.

The primary aim is to assess whether increased availability of free fruit influences students' snacking habits and whether the addition of an awareness campaign further enhances engagement with the fruit stands. Secondary aims include evaluating the feasibility of weight-based digital monitoring, characterising patterns of fruit uptake over the school day, and examining changes in students' overall eating behaviour across measurement periods. All data will be analysed at group level, and the study is considered minimal risk. Findings will support future scalable strategies for fruit distribution in school settings and contribute to broader evaluation of school-based dietary promotion initiatives.

Enrollment: 300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 19 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Students enrolled in a Swedish school (elementary, middle, or high school). Ages 7-19 years. Able to use a mobile phone to document meals and snacks. Provide informed consent (with parental consent required for participants under 15 years old).

Exclusion criteria

Presence of any clinically significant disease or condition that, in the opinion of the research team, may interfere with participation or influence study outcomes.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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300 participants in 2 patient groups

Fruit stands only

Experimental group

Description:

Schools assigned to this arm receive fruit stands that provide free fruit during the school day. No awareness or educational campaign is implemented. Students report all their meals including fruits and snacks using the research mobile app before, during, and after the intervention

Treatment:

Behavioral: Fruit Stand Availability

Fruit stands + awareness campaign

Experimental group

Description:

Schools assigned to this arm receive fruit stands identical to the fruit-only arm, plus a school-based awareness campaign designed to promote healthy eating and encourage fruit consumption. Students report all their meals including fruits and snacks using the research mobile app before, during, and after the intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Fruit Stand Availability

Behavioral: Awareness Campaign