Dietary Improvements among African American Youth: Results of an Interactive Nutrition Promotion Program

BackgroundThe Junior Doctors of Health (c) (JDOH) program was developed from a collaboration between a large medical university, school district, and community organization to address obesity-related behaviors in children through education, skill building, and mentoring.PurposeEvaluate the impact of the JDOH program on self-efficacy for and intake of fruits, vegetables, and beverages among a sample of predominantly African American elementary students.MethodsPre- and postintervention surveys were administered to students in grades 4 through 6. A total of 224 students participated (intervention=133, control=91) across 5 schools. Independent t tests and mixed-model Poisson regressions were conducted to compare intervention and control groups.ResultsSelf-efficacy was associated with significant differences in reported dietary behaviors, with results varying by gender. For boys, fruit intake increased significantly, and for girls, intake of fruit, green salad, carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables increased significantly.DiscussionThe results indicate that the JDOH program is a useful model for schools to provide nutrition education that may result in positive dietary behavior change among African American youth.