Year
2026
Season
Summer
Paper Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
Brooks College of Health
Degree Name
Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN)
Department
Nutrition & Dietetics
Committee Chairperson
Jenifer Ross, DCN, RDN, LDN, FAND
Second Advisor
Zhiping Yu, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND
Third Advisor
LaToya Johnson, PhD, SCAFCS
Abstract
Objective: Early childhood is a critical period for establishing healthy dietary behaviors, yet many preschool-aged children fail to meet recommended fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake. This study evaluated the effects of a garden-based nutrition intervention on F/V intake, willingness to try F/V, food liking, and parent nutrition knowledge among preschool-aged children.
Design, Setting, and Participants: This quasi-experimental pretest-posttest pilot intervention study design without a comparison group was conducted at the South Carolina State University Child Development Learning Center in a South Carolina food desert community. Preschool-aged children (n=32) and their parents participated in a garden-based nutrition education program that integrated weekly gardening activities, repeated food exposure, sensory exploration, food tastings, and parent nutrition education sessions.
Results: Children's willingness to try fruits and vegetables remained consistently high throughout the intervention, and favorable food liking ratings were observed for most intervention foods. Parent nutrition knowledge improved significantly following participation in the educational sessions (P < .05). No statistically significant changes were observed in children's overall F/V intake across repeated assessments.
Conclusions and Relevance: Although measurable changes in F/V intake were not observed, the findings suggest that experiential nutrition education combined with parent engagement may establish behavioral foundations that support long-term healthy eating habits. Longer-duration interventions with larger samples are warranted to evaluate sustained dietary behavior change.
Suggested Citation
McClain, Kimberely Ann, "The effects of a garden-based nutrition intervention program on fruit and vegetable intake and nutrition knowledge of preschoolers and parents at South Carolina State University child development learning center: A pilot study" (2026). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1447.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/1447
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