Positive Health Online

Abstract

BECCARELLI and COLLEAGUES,  1. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA; Center for Nutrition in Schools, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.; 2. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA; Center for Nutrition in Schools, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.  rescherr@ucdavis.edu .;3. Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA; Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA.; 4. Image Technologies Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT.

5. US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, ND. ;6. Family and Community Health, Extension Service-Tillamook and Lincoln Counties, Oregon State University, Tillamook, OR.; 7. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA; University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Davis, CA; Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.; 8. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA; University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Davis, CA.; 9. Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA.;10. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA; Center for Nutrition in Schools, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA; University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Davis, CA. sought to determine whether fourth-grade students participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program (SHCP), a school-based nutrition intervention, would change vegetable and carotenoid intake measured by skin carotenoids and dietary intake.

Background

To determine whether fourth-grade students participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program (SHCP), a school-based nutrition intervention, would change vegetable and carotenoid intake measured by skin carotenoids and dietary intake.

Methodology

Single-group pretest-post-test with a self-selected, convenience sample of students (n = 30) participating in the SHCP, which lasted 1 academic year (9 months). Dietary intake of vegetables and carotenoids as measured by Block food frequency questionnaire and skin carotenoids as measured by Raman spectroscopy were collected at the school preintervention and postintervention.

Results

Reported carotenoid intake decreased by 1.5 mg (P = .05) and skin carotenoids decreased by 2,247.9 RRS intensity units (P = .04). Change in reported intake correlated with change in skin carotenoids (r = .43; P = .02).

Conclusion

The reported decrease in vegetable and carotenoid intake was unanticipated; nevertheless, the RRS measurements confirmed this. RRS data can help evaluate changes in fruit and vegetable intake. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. All rights reserved.

References

Beccarelli LM1, Scherr RE2, Dharmar M3, Ermakov IV4, Gellermann W4, Jahns L5, Linnell JD6, Keen CL7, Steinberg FM8, Young HM9, Zidenberg-Cherr S10. Using Skin Carotenoids to Assess Dietary Changes in Students After 1 Academic Year of Participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program. J Nutr Educ Behav.  ;49(1):73-78.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2016.09.007. Epub  Oct 26 2016. Jan 2017.