Effect of Ending the Nationwide Free School Fruit Scheme on the Intake of Fruits, Vegetables, and Unhealthy Snacks in Norwegian School Children Aged 10–12 Years
Richardsen, Helene Kristin; Bere, Elling Tufte; Stea, Tonje Holte; Klepp, Knut Inge; Engeset, Dagrun
Peer reviewed, Journal article
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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3063577Utgivelsesdato
2023Metadata
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Originalversjon
Richardsen, H. K., Bere, E. T., Stea, T. H., Klepp, K. I. & Engeset, D. (2023). Effect of Ending the Nationwide Free School Fruit Scheme on the Intake of Fruits, Vegetables, and Unhealthy Snacks in Norwegian School Children Aged 10–12 Years. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (3), 1-12. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032489Sammendrag
The Norwegian authorities started a nationwide free school fruit program in 2007, implemented in all secondary schools (grades 8–10) and combined schools (grades 1–10) in Norway. The
program ended in 2014. This study evaluates the effect of ending the nationwide free school fruit
program on the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and unhealthy snacks among Norwegian sixth
and seventh graders. The study sample consists of pupils at 18 schools that participated in all data
collections in the Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks project (FVMM), initiated in 2001, with new
data collections in 2008 and 2018. Four of the schools were combined schools, therefore children
in sixth and seventh grade at these schools received free fruit in 2008 (intervention schools), and
fourteen schools did not (control schools). Between 2008 and 2018, pupils at the intervention schools
ate a lower proportion of fruits and vegetables per school week, and the consumption of unhealthy
snacks increased compared to the control schools. Completion of the free fruit program was not
significantly different for boys and girls, or low and high parental education. The results indicate that
the end of the free school fruit program resulted in less healthy eating habits among children.