NUDGING CHILDREN TOWARD HEALTHIER DIETS

Start date: January 2018

Do school garden programs in developing countries prompt children to make healthier food choices? Although previous studies demonstrated that school gardens can improve children’s knowledge of and preferences for healthier foods, bringing about positive change in children’s food choices may depend on the availability of fruit and vegetables and the overriding influence of caregivers on children’s diets.

A new WorldVeg study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UK aid will test the hypothesis that school garden programs can nudge children aged 8-12 toward healthier diets if these constraints are addressed explicitly. The project builds on an existing WorldVeg school garden program (including hands-on gardening and nutrition education), but adds a home garden component that trains parents in gardening and nutrition—and encourages parents and children to work together to improve family nutrition. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the study will provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which school-based interventions can influence children’s food choices. The two-year, USD 270,000 study will be conducted in Nepal with the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB), and Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ).