Using Reinforcement Schedules to Increase Fruit&Vegetable Intake, Reduce Waste, and Increase School Lunch Participation

Summary

Using small monetary rewards to reinforce healthy behaviors, such as the consumption of fruits and vegetables (F\&V), the investigators tested fixed and variable reinforcement schedules in three middle schools.

The investigators measured carotenoid levels, as a biomarker of F\&V intake, and F\&V waste over the intervention time frame. The investigators also tracked the school lunch participation rates over time.

Conditions

• Behavioral Changes
• Psychology, Social
• Nutrition

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Variable (random) interval

Using Variable (Random) Interval Reinforcement Schedules to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Reduce Fruit and Vegetable Waste, and Increase School Lunch Participation

BEHAVIORAL

Variable (non-random) interval

Using Variable (Non-random) Interval Reinforcement Schedules to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Reduce Fruit and Vegetable Waste, and Increase School Lunch Participation

BEHAVIORAL

Variable (random) interval with table tents

Using Variable (Random) Interval Reinforcement Schedules and Table Tents with Health-related Messages to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Reduce Fruit and Vegetable Waste, and Increase School Lunch Participation

BEHAVIORAL

Control

No intervention

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Paso del Norte Health Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Texas

  collaborator OTHER

• Brigham Young University

  collaborator OTHER

• Ysleta Independent School District, El Paso

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• New Mexico State University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mihai Niculescu, PhD · New Mexico State University

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

11 Years

Max Age

16 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2015-09-14

Primary Completion

2016-05-06

Completion

2016-05-06

Countries

• United States

Study Locations