Arizona State University
Arizona State University is studying how local schools and grocery stores can work together to promote fruits and vegetables and support healthy eating among children and families. The goal of this pilot cluster clinical trial is to determine whether FFVP+, a public private partnership between elementary schools and regional Bashas' Food City stores, can used to support fruit and vegetable promotion among children and their caregivers. The study will include elementary school students and caregivers from elementary schools participating in the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can schools and Food City stores coordinate promotion of fruits and vegetables through the FFVP+ partnership? Can we recruit and retain student and caregiver dyads and collect the planned measures across the school year? Do children and caregivers in the FFVP+ schools consume more fruits and vegetables than schools not receiving this enhanced intervention. Researchers will compare schools receiving FFVP+ to schools receiving the usual Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program only. This will help us understand whether the partnership is feasible, whether the recruitment and data collection procedures work, and whether the approach is ready to be tested in a larger trial. Participants will: Complete study visits at three time points during the school year Complete surveys about fruit and vegetable intake, preferences, household food availability, and shopping practices Have fruit and vegetable intake measured using a non-invasive Veggie Meter device Have height and weight measured Students will also have fruit and vegetable intake measured during school lunch using plate waste methods.
Inclusion Criteria: * Stores: Must be a Food City store located within the Maricopa or Pinal County regions. * FFVP Schools: Must 1) be located within 1-mile radius of a Food City store; 2) have 2 years of continuous prior experience in the USDA-funded FFVP program; 3) intend to offer FFVP at least 2 days/week over the school year; and 4) are not participating in other FV related research. * Non-FFVP School: Must 1) be located within 1-mile radius of a Food City store; 2) eligible for USDA-funding, but not awarded funding for the FFVP program; and 3) are not participating in other FV related…
FFVP+ is a public private partnership intervention that links elementary schools participating in the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program with nearby Bashas' Food City stores. Schools continue usual FFVP activities, including offering fresh fruit and vegetable snacks twice weekly, and add school based promotion and messaging to encourage students to ask caregivers about the fruits and vegetables offered at school. The paired Food City store implements coordinated fruit and vegetable promotion for the same or similar items, such as bilingual signage, shelf tags, taste testing, QR codes, in-store announcements, and other feasible produce promotion strategies. The goal is to extend FFVP exposure beyond school and into the household and neighborhood retail food environment.
FFVP-only schools will continue usual implementation of the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Through FFVP, participating elementary schools offer students fresh fruit and vegetable snacks at least twice per week during the school day to increase exposure to and acceptance of fruits and vegetables. Schools may continue their usual FFVP-related procedures and any standard nutrition education or food service activities already occurring in the school setting. FFVP-only schools will not receive the added FFVP+ public private partnership components, including coordinated promotion with Food City stores or study-supported store based promotion of FFVP fruits and vegetables.