Effects of Experiential Learning on Vegetable Intake in Preschool Children
Condition: Food Habits; Food Preferences; Health Behavior; Diet Habit; Child Behavior
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      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).
    

Detailed 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.
    

Intervention name(s): Narrative; Experiential
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Children will be read a story book featuring vegetables for a minimum of 7 times (including twice during the familiarization phase).; Children will receive hands on experience with the vegetable. They will get to listen, see, feel, touch and smell the actual vegetable during the two familiarization phases.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Care Provider)
Primary purpose: Basic Science