Strategies to Address the Complex Challenge of Improving Regional and Remote Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Abstract

Fruit and vegetables (F&V) are imperative for good health, yet less than one per cent of Australian children consume these food groups in sufficient quantities. As guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this paper aimed to: (i) understand key informant perspectives of the amount, types and quality of F&V consumed by rural and remote Western Australian (WA) children; and, (ii) determine strategies that could increase F&V consumption among rural and remote WA children. This qualitative study included 20 semi-structured interviews with health, school/youth and food supply workers, focusing on topics including: quantity and type of F&V consumed and strategies to increase children’s consumption. A thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo qualitative data analysis software (Version 10, 2014. QSR International Pty Ltd., Doncaster, Victoria, Australia). Key informants reported children consumed energy-dense nutrient-poor foods in place of F&V. Strategy themes included: using relevant motivators for children to increase their preference for F&V (i.e., gaming approach, SCT construct of ‘expectations’); empowering community-driven initiatives (i.e., kitchen gardens, SCT construct of ‘environment’); increasing food literacy across settings (i.e., food literacy skills, SCT construct of ‘behavioural capacity’); developing salient messages and cooking tips that resonate with parents (i.e., parent newsletters, SCT construct of ‘self-control’); increasing F&V availability, safety, and convenience (i.e., school provision); and, considering the impact of role models that extend beyond the family (i.e., relatable role models, SCT construct of ‘observational learning’). Overall, a comprehensive strategy that incorporates relevant motivators for children and families, supports local initiatives, reinforces the range of role models that are involved with children and creates healthier environments, is required to increase F&V consumption among children.

Nutrition and Vulnerable Groups

“…Poor food choice or limited access to nourishing food, such as fruit and vegetables, is associated with food insecure populations [11,12], especially youth, and is explained by a lack of economic means, education, food availability, access, and other socioeconomic factors. Support mechanisms, including programs to increase access to healthy food, are paramount for vulnerable communities, and this issue provides evidence of the importance of food pantries [13], as well as school and university settings [14,15]. However, in some countries popular restaurants that support low income families and provide cheap, energy-dense foods to support the cultural aspects of the traditional food supply simultaneously increase the risk of chronic disease [16].…”

Assessment of an Educational Intervention to Improve Healthy Life Habits in Children Living in Vulnerable Socioeconomic Conditions

“…However, some studies only achieved an improvement in the consumption of vegetables and not fruit [ 19 , 30 ]. The use of specific strategies, such as food literacy in early childhood and school environments, has motivated children to eat fruit and vegetables [ 31 ].…”

South West Food Community: how government and community initiatives are supporting systemic change towards enhanced food security

“…These 36 characteristics were embedded within nine Focus Areas, their plain language versions as follows: 1) Shaking up the current way of working; 2) Transitioning towards a better way of working; 3) Organisations working in new ways; 4) Locking in the new way of working; 5) Disseminating information throughout the system; 6) Aligning community organisations' work with government priorities; 7) Community organisations shaping government policies; 8) Government supporting community initiatives; 9) Government sharing information about community initiatives. 18 Further detail about these Focus Area characteristics has been published elsewhere. 19,20 The Map stage included uploading the responses to the 36 characteristics questions into the Tool for Systemic Change, an online tool developed by the organisation Wicked Lab, to graphically depict where initiatives possessed the desirable Focus Area characteristics, and where 'windows of opportunity' existed that could be strengthened.…”