Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and offerings to Somali children: the FAV-S pilot study.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a parent-centered intervention to increase fruit and vegetable servings and consumption among Somali children living in the United States.

DESIGN

Pilot intervention that included Somali community health workers who organized groups of 3 or 4 women to participate in 2 initial educational sessions, including topics of health and nutrition, serving size, and label reading. A third session taught interactive cooking to increase skills in preparing fruits and vegetables and increasing the numbers of vegetables included in traditional Somali dishes. The final session was a trip to the grocery store to identify fruits and vegetables, determine ripeness, and explore frozen and canned fruits and vegetables for halal, low-sodium, and low-sugar products. Surveys were completed pre- and post-intervention.

SETTING

Study participants were recruited from a large housing complex in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a high population of Somali immigrants.

PARTICIPANTS

Somali women (N = 25) with children aged 3 to 10 years.

RESULTS

The intervention was feasible and well accepted. In comparing pre- and post-intervention surveys, mothers reported providing their children significantly more frequent servings of fruits and vegetables at dinner, lunch, snack, and breakfast (vegetable only). There was a statistically significant increase in parent-reported intake of fruits and vegetables for themselves and their children.

CONCLUSION

The FAV-S study was feasible and acceptable, and it demonstrated potential for increasing fruit and vegetable servings and consumption among Somali children. A larger-scale randomized trial is needed to assess the impact of this intervention.