Fuel for Fun Process Evaluation Reveals Strong Implementation and Approval with Varied Parent Engagement

Leslie Cunningham-Sabo; Barbara Lohse; Jessica Clifford; Alixanna Burg; Claudio Nigg

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2022.08.001

Fuel for Fun Process Evaluation Reveals Strong Implementation and Approval with Varied Parent Engagement

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2023 Jan;55(1):16-29. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.08.001.

Authors

Leslie Cunningham-Sabo¹, Barbara Lohse², Jessica Clifford³, Alixanna Burg³, Claudio Nigg⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. Electronic address: Leslie.Cunningham-Sabo@Colostate.edu.
² Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY.
³ Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
⁴ Department of Health Science, Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

PMID: 36621265
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.08.001

Abstract

Objective: To describe the implementation and process characteristics of Fuel for Fun: Cooking with Kids Plus Parents and Play (FFF).

Design: Mixed methods.

Setting: Elementary schools in 2 Northern Colorado school districts.

Participants: Fourth graders (aged 9-11 years), parents, school staff, and implementation researchers; measured over 2 consecutive years in 8 schools (851 students, 45 classrooms).

Intervention(s): Social Cognitive and active learning theory-based classroom cooking with tasting lessons, active recess games, cooking with tasting food promotion during school lunch, family nights, and take-home intervention reinforcements. A 7-month program delivered by a trained intervention team.

Main outcome measure(s): Implementation measures (observations and debriefings) assessed context, reach, dose delivered, fidelity, and dose received; process measures (surveys) assessed student and parent perceptions and intervention participation.

Analysis: Descriptive statistics for quantitative and themes for qualitative data.

Results: Minor adjustments in program delivery plans were required to accommodate changes in school schedules and policies. Process measures demonstrated > 90% achievement of goals for nearly all child-centered activities. One-quarter of eligible families participated in evening events, with strong parent and student approval. Fifty out of 116 parents (43%) completing an online survey reported preparing ≥ 1 of 5 recipes with their child. Fifty-nine percent of eligible students completed >1 of 10 take-home activity sheets with their parents.

Conclusions and implications: Engagement and commitment of the intervention team and school staff supported strong implementation. Participant responses were positive, but improvement in parent engagement requires investigation.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02491294.

Keywords: children; cooking; physical activity; process evaluation; school.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Colorado
Cooking*
Humans
Parents
Program Evaluation
School Health Services
Students*
Surveys and Questionnaires

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02491294