Children's eating behaviour, engagement in exploring healthy foods Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine Children's eating behaviour, engagement in exploring healthy foods
Conditions
Interventions
Participants will be students in one of the first three years of UK primary schools. Schools based in London or Leeds will be eligible to volunteer or self-select to participate. Some of these schools
Sponsors
University of Leeds
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Children in the first three years (Reception, Year 1, Year 2) of a participating UK primary school (and therefore an age range of 4 to 7 years) 2. Informed consent obtained from parent/caregiver, for the school to release a child's data for the study School inclusion criteria: 1. Volunteer/self-selected schools 2. Based in London and Leeds 3. Two form entry or smaller schools able to twin with a nearby school (as the randomization regime requires matched classes for Control-Intervention allocation) 4. Schools serving communities with high levels of deprivation are especially welcome
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Children identified by the school as at risk or unable to participate (e.g. due to multiple severe food allergies, or severe developmental disorders)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 'Curiosity and confidence' in tasting vegetables and fruit assessed through investigator analysis of video footage of the 'FlavourExplorers' activity at baseline and 12 weeks, specifically measuring willingness-to-taste (number of samples tasted from range offered), non-verbal behavioural engagement (facial expressions during a tasting activity), and verbal behavioural engagement (speaking/conversation during a tasting activity) | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Does the Flavour School sensory food education programme increase the overall level of liking for the offered range of foods? This will be measured through children's responses on the 'My Tasting Card' during the 'FlavourExplorers' activity at baseline and 12 weeks 2. The user experience of Flavour School measured through interviews and teacher survey responses at 12 weeks to determine how workable it is for teachers and schools, how could it be improved, and made more usable and accessible, and what the perceived value is for teachers and for children 3. Can the human observer analysis of facial expression and verbal behaviour be automated? Specifically measuring if Noldus FaceReader can provide valid assessments of facial expression in this experimental context and if SoapBox Lab’s child-specialist Automated Speech Recogniser can provide valid assessments of relevant verbalisation, conversation, and vocabulary richness. This will be assessed through comparison of automated and investigator analysis of video footage of the 'FlavourExplorers' activity at baseline and 12 weeks | — |
Countries
England, United Kingdom
Contacts
Public ContactNicholas Wilkinson
Outcome results
None listed