Incentivizing Fruit, Vegetable, and Physical Activity Level Change: Expansion and Evaluation of the Fit Game Program for Healthy Behavior Change in Elementary Schools

• Main Author: Joyner, Damon L.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@USU 2018
• Subjects: fruit; vegetable; elementary school; children; Nutrition
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7201; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8326&context=etd

Researchers in the Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science department and Psychology department sought to improve healthy behaviors in elementary schools such as fruit and vegetable consumption (FV) and daily physical activity (PA). We chose to use a healthy behavior program called the “FIT Game” that has successfully increased FV consumption among elementary-aged children over short periods of time. Our aim was to improve the program by lowering operating costs, adjusting its materials to target PA and see if it could maintain healthy eating improvements over a longer period of time. Our series of research shows encouraging results: short term improvements in healthy eating using the low-cost FIT Game; improvements in PA; and maintained improvements in FV consumption over longer durations. Improving healthy behaviors such as FV consumption and daily PA are important goals that can improve future health. Using the FIT Game intervention represents a low-cost and sustainable way to work toward these goals.