EU-School Fruit Scheme: Children’s and Parents’ Perception Regarding Home Environment of Fruit and Vegetables (FV) in Bavaria

Abstract

Since 2010 the EU-School Fruit Scheme (SFS) in primary schools was established to increase children’s FV consumption where the pupils get FV once per week. The objective is to examine children’s and their parents’ perception of home environment. A further goal is to determine whether there are agreements between children’s and parents’ responses of their perception. In addition, it will be shown whether the SFS has an influence on children’s and parents’ perceptions and agreements. Children’s and parents’ perceptions were collected using questionnaires in collaboration with 14 primary schools. The baseline survey (t0) was conducted in spring 2014, the follow-up survey (t1) in summer 2015. The questionnaires of 453 children (aged 8-10) and their parents are distributed in intervention group (n = 242; participating at SFS since 1.5 years) and control group (n = 211). Home environment was named as availability and accessibility of FV at home and parental encouragement to eat FV. Descriptive statistics and paired t-test were conducted to investigate any differences. Between t0 and t1 parents’ availability, accessibility and children’s availability document a high significant difference in the intervention group however not in the control group. Children’s accessibility and parental encouragement have significant differences in both groups. Children’s and parents’ agreement regarding parental encouragement only has a significant difference. To assess home environment of FV it is useful to obtain both parent’ and children’s perception. The longitudinal analysis reveals different impacts on children’s and parents’ home environment of FV.