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Volume 7, Issue 3 (Suppl)
J Obes Weight Loss Ther, an open access journal
ISSN: 2165-7904
Childhood Obesity & Bariatric Surgery 2017
June 12-13, 2017
June 12-13, 2017 Rome, Italy
&
Childhood Obesity and Nutrition
10
th
International Conference on
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
2
nd
International Conference on
JOINT EVENT
An evaluation of a pilot farm to school program: Student knowledge and awareness
Kathleen Border
and
Molly Brogan
D’Youville College, USA
Statement of the Problem:
The percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s. Today,
about one in five school-aged children (ages 6–19) has obesity. School based interventions to promote healthy eating and prevent
obesity are a natural fit. Farm to School is a voluntary program through which schools can purchase and highlight locally produced,
farm-fresh foods. The program also promotes nutrition-based curriculum and experiential learning opportunities such as farm visits
and school garden-based learning. This study evaluated a farm to school pilot program in a large urban school district to determine
students’ awareness of the program at their school and if they could identify benefits of consuming locally grown produce.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation:
A quasi-experimental study design was used. Students in a large urban school district
participated in two nutrition lessons which focused on awareness of the farm to school program and; benefits of eating locally grown
foods. A pre and post-test was used to evaluate change in awareness and knowledge. The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole
Child (WSCC) framework was applied which combined elements of the traditional coordinated school health approach and the
whole child framework.
Findings:
The sample consisted of 4th grade students (n=290) enrolled in 10 schools within a large urban school district. All 10
schools were part of a farm to school pilot program. After the intervention, a significant difference (p<0.001) was noted in program
awareness. Students demonstrated an increased knowledge of locally grown produce after the nutrition intervention, specifically
apples (p=0.009), pears (p=0.001), broccoli (p=0.031), and cauliflower (p=0.005). Additionally, students identified benefits of
consuming locally grown produce, specifically that the food tastes great (p=0.011) and will support local farms (p=0.004).
Conclusion & Significance:
This study found that the nutrition education component of the farm to school program increases
knowledge of locally grown foods; benefits of consuming locally grown foods and awareness of the farm to school program within
their school. Farm to school programs enhance student knowledge of consuming fruits and vegetables. Future research needs to be
conducted to determine changes in eating behaviors based on participation in the farm to school program.
Figure:
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Conceptual Model
Biography
Kathleen Border is a nutrition education professional with over 20 years of experience in “Designing and implementing education programs for diverse audiences”.
She is an Advocate for bringing nutrition education programs to underserved communities throughout her career in dietetics. Her experience in Community Nutrition
and higher education has led her to collaborate with stakeholders to support healthy eating initiatives in schools. She is an academic leader with proven success
in designing and meeting national accreditation standards. She has held several leadership positions within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She currently
serves as an Assistant Professor of Dietetics at D’Youville College, Buffalo, New York.
borderk@dyc.eduKathleen Border et al., J Obes Weight Loss Ther 2017, 7:3 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2165-7904-C1-045