Memorie Nichols
Published: 2015
Total Pages: 88
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Problem: Obesity among preschool-aged children is a major public health concern as obese children are more likely to be obese as adults, and obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. Diets high in fruits and vegetables (FV) may decrease the risk of many chronic diseases as well as contribute to obesity prevention. However, many preschool-aged children in the US are not meeting recommended intakes of FV. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine previous interventions conducted to increase FV consumption among preschool-aged children. Methods: The search for published articles was conducted using PubMed through the Weill Cornell Medical College library. The search terms "fruit AND vegetable AND consumption AND intervention" with specific filters were used to find studies that had been conducted on preschool-aged children, had full-text versions available online, were published in English, and were of rigorous design. Results: Thirty-four articles resulted, but only 12 were eligible to be included and further examined in this paper. Conclusions: The studies showed promising results for interventions conducted among preschool-aged children to increase the consumption of FV at least in the short-term. One common theme of many of the interventions was repeated exposure to and tastes of FV. Increased fruit consumption was typically achieved through less rigorous strategies, which may be due to children's natural taste preference for sweet food items. Further, many of the interventions involved multiple components.