Effects of Experiential Learning on Vegetable Intake in Preschool Children

University of Leeds

Status: Completed

Conditions: Child Behavior; Diet Habit; Food Habits; Health Behavior; Food Preferences

Treatments: Behavioral: Narrative; Behavioral: Experiential

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03400566

ULeeds

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this cluster randomized control trial is to test the efficacy of providing experience of a target novel vegetable within the context of an interactive story time to increase intake of the target novel vegetable in preschool aged children (aged 2-5 years).

Full description

The aim of this study is to test the efficacy of providing experience of a target novel vegetable within the context of an interactive story time to increase intake of the target novel vegetable in preschool aged children (aged 2-5 years). In particular, the study will assess whether these strategies are effective to encourage intake of an unfamiliar vegetable in children who are fussy eaters.

There are two manipulations in this study - the provision of a story which features either a target vegetable (celeriac) or a control vegetable (carrot) and the presence of experiential learning (smelling, touching, looking at the vegetable) with either the target vegetable or the control vegetable.

Baseline consumption and familiarity of the target veg will be assessed for all children, before the intervention. The intervention consists of two familiarization trials, and 2-weeks of access to a story book featuring vegetables. Following the final familiarization trial, consumption and familiarity will be assessed again. Each familiarization trial consists of a story in class, and depending on condition, an experiential learning episode in class. During the 2 week interval between familiarization sessions nurseries will be requested to ready the story book 5 times in the preschool room (at times convenient to them).

Participants will be cluster randomized into 4 groups (2X2 between subjects design): 1) target vegetable narrative, 2) target vegetable narrative + experiential, 3) control vegetable narrative 4) control vegetable narrative + experiential

Child's food fussiness data will be collected by parents using the Food Fussiness sub scale of the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Their usual consumption of the target vegetable will also be measured using parent report.

Nursery staff will be requested to provide feedback to evaluate intervention feasibility, barriers and efficacy.

It is predicted that children's intake of the novel vegetable will vary by intervention. The primary hypothesis to be tested is that providing experience of a target novel vegetable within the context of an interactive story time will encourage preschoolers to taste, try and eat the target vegetable.

Enrollment: 337 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 2 to 5 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 2 to 5 years old
• Attends nursery on selected test day

Exclusion criteria

• Relevant food allergy (celeriac / celery)
• Medical condition which would prevent them from eating the test vegetable

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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337 participants in 4 patient groups

Narrative (target)

Experimental group

Description:

Children will receive the story featuring the target vegetable and NO sensory experience.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Narrative

Narrative+ experiential (target)

Experimental group

Description:

Children will receive the story featuring the target vegetable and experiential learning with the target vegetable.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Experiential

Behavioral: Narrative

Narrative (control)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Children will receive the story featuring the control vegetable and NO sensory experience.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Narrative

Narrative+ experiential (control)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Children will receive the story featuring the control vegetable and experiential learning with the control vegetable.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Experiential

Behavioral: Narrative