Effectiveness of Promoting Vegetable and Fruit Consumption Behavior Program among Pre-School Children by Parents at Child Development Center, Muang District, Surin Province

บทคัดย่อ

This quasi-experimental research was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of promoting vegetable and fruit consumption behavior program among pre-school children by parents at a child development center in MuangDistrict, Surinprovince. It was applied by using learning theory and social support. The subjects were divided into two groups; experimental group (30 subjects) and comparison group (30 subjects). The experimental group was promoted with vegetable and fruit consumption behavior program for 12 weeks with 2 groups of activities; one for parents, and the other for pre-school children. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, percentage of frequency, mean, standard deviation, median, maximum score, minimum score, paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test. The statistical significancewas set at 0.05.

The result revealed that the experimental group hada significant average score before and after tested for vegetable and fruit knowledge 9.6 and 13.3 (95% CI = 2.8, 4.7), attitude about vegetable and fruit consumption 37.9 and 42.4 (95% CI = 3.2, 5.8), practice in vegetable and fruit consumable promotion 46.3 and 52.8 (95% CI = 4.3,8.6) and vegetable and fruit consumable behavior in pre-school children 16.5 and 26.9 (95% CI = 9.3, 11.5). Meanwhile, the comparison group hada significant average score before and after tested for vegetable and fruit knowledge 10.4 and 11.2(95% CI =0.2, 1.3). However, attitude about vegetable and fruit consumption, practice in vegetable and fruit consumable promotion, and vegetable and fruit consumable behavior in pre-school childrenwere not statistically significant.

According to the result mentioned above, child development center shouldhold activities to promote vegetable and fruit consumption and encourage parentsto participate in such activity. Teaching parents together with children,exchange of experience among parents and the child development center, and skills for vegetable and fruit practice are among the activities that should be encouraged.