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Measuring The Impacts Of A School Garden-Based Nutrition Intervention, Jenna Banning

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

School garden-based education programs have become an increasingly popular tool to improve children's nutrition, yet evaluations have found mixed results. This study analyzes three years of student surveys collected before and after one year of participation in the American Heart Association's Teaching Gardens program. Analysis was guided by the Social Cognitive Theory, and measured changes in determinants of healthy eating behavior: preferences for fruits and vegetables, gardening skills, food systems learning, and perceptions of self-efficacy and social norms regarding fruit and vegetable consumption. A total of 755 pre-test and 976 post-test responses were included in the analysis, as well as …