Kokkerelli Learning Street Effect Evaluation

In 2012, the Kids University for Cooking Foundation BV has developed a nutrition education programme called 'Kokkerelli Learning Street'. This innovative programme aims to teach primary school students from study years 5-8 where food comes from, how it is processed, and how it can be used for the preparation of a healthy meal.

The Kokkerelli Learning Street is offered to primary school children in the region of Venlo, the Netherlands. The present study will investigate the effects of the Kokkerelli Learning Street on several determinants of children's fruit and vegetable intake. Based on the literature and the aims of the Learning Street, five relevant determinants are selected: (i) knowledge; (ii) taste preferences; (iii) intention; (iv) skills; and (v) attitude.

Using child-reported questionnaires, the present study aims to answer the following key questions:

What are the short-term and longer-term effects of the Kokkerelli Learning Street on children's:

• Knowledge regarding fruit and vegetable consumption?
• Intentions regarding fruit and vegetable consumption?
• Attitude regarding fruit and vegetable consumption?
• Liking of fruit and vegetables?
• Skills regarding fruit and vegetable preparation?
• Fruit and vegetable intake?

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Children
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Kokkerelli Learning Street

Detailed Description

In 2012, the Kids University for Cooking Foundation BV has developed a nutrition education programme called 'Kokkerelli Learning Street'. This innovative programme aims to teach primary school students aged 8-12 years (study years 5-8) where food comes from, how it is processed, and how it can be used for the preparation of a healthy meal. The theoretical foundation of the Learning Street is based on the EnRG framework, which states that behaviour is influenced both by conscious and unconscious processes. These processes can (in)directly be influenced by environmental factors. In addition, several behavioural and personal factors are thought to moderate the causal path.

The Kokkerelli Learning Street is offered to primary school children in the region of Venlo, the Netherlands. It involves education based on concepts of the Self-Determination Theory, active learning, and imagineering (e.g., self-experience in an interactive environment, rather than conventional education). The present study will investigate the effects of the Kokkerelli Learning Street on several determinants of children's fruit and vegetable intake. Based on the EnRG framework, other literature and the aims of the Learning Street, five relevant determinants are selected: (i) knowledge; (ii) taste preferences; (iii) intention; (iv) skills; and (v) attitude.

Using child-reported questionnaires, the present study aims to answer the following key questions:

What are the short-term and longer-term effects of the Kokkerelli Learning Street on children's:

• Knowledge regarding fruit and vegetable consumption?
• Intentions regarding fruit and vegetable consumption?
• Attitude regarding fruit and vegetable consumption?
• Liking of fruit and vegetables?
• Skills regarding fruit and vegetable preparation?
• Fruit and vegetable intake?

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 192
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Limburg
    • Venlo, Limburg, Netherlands, 5928 RC
      • Kids University for Cooking

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Student of study years five to eight of one of the predetermined primary schools

Exclusion Criteria:

• School classes who already participated in the Kokkerelli Learning Street during previous school years

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Kokkerelli Learning Street; The classes included in this group will participate in the Kokkerelli Learning Street; a school-based nutrition education programme included classroom-based lessons, a visit to a grower's farm and a cooking workshop.	Behavioral: Kokkerelli Learning Street; The Kokkerelli Learning Street focusses on one specific food product (kale, tomato, asparagus, pepper, strawberry, blue berry, mushroom, carrot, or leek) and consists of multiple components: An introduction lesson at school. Children are introduced to the product and familiarised with growing and harvesting processes and the importance of the product regarding health.; A visit to a grower's farm during which children are introduced to the precise planting, growing and harvesting procedures of the product. Children are allowed to enter the facilities (e.g., the greenhouse) and observe and experience the farming of the product.; A cooking workshop at the facilities of Kids University for Cooking BV. Children prepare a meal with help of volunteers. After preparing the meal, children help to set the table and consume their self-prepared meal.; An evaluation lesson at school. Children evaluate the Learning Street together with their peers and teacher.
No Intervention: Control group; The classes included in this group will not participate in the Kokkerelli Learning Street and will continue with their regular curriculum.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from baseline fruit and vegetable knowledge at 3 months after the evaluation lesson	Knowledge will be assessed by six knowledge questions in the child questionnaire. A total knowledge score based on the number of correct answers will be calculated. The minimum score that can be obtained is 0, indicating low knowledge. The maximum score that can be obtained is 6, indicating high knowledge.	Three months
Change from baseline intention to consume fruit and vegetables at three months after the evaluation lesson	Questions assessing intention will concern participants' plans to consume or cook a meal containing the specific food product in the future and will be assessed on a scale from 1='I don't know' to 6='yes I will'. A mean score will be calculated to assess intention. The minimum score that can be obtained is 0, indicating low intention. The maximum score that can be obtained is 6, indicating high intention.	Three months
Change from baseline attitude towards fruit and vegetable (consumption) at 3 months after the evaluation lesson	Questions and scales for attitude ('How much do you think the target behaviours are clever/interesting and nice/cool/tasty?') will be used as described by Ajzen and Fishbein and as previously used in comparable research. They will have response options ranging from 1='no, not at all' to 5='yes, totally'. A mean score will be calculated to assess attitude.	Three months
Change from baseline taste preferences for fruit and vegetables at 3 months after the evaluation lesson	Three questions will be used for taste preferences (e.g., 'What do you think about the taste of the food product?') (scale from 1='never tried' to 6='I like it very much'). A mean score will be calculated to assess taste preferences.	Three months
Change from baseline skills attitutde towards healthy food products at 3 months after the evaluation lesson	Questions and scales for attitude ('How much do you think the target behaviours are product ('I don't know', 'no', 'a little', 'yes').	Three months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Maastricht University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marla Hahnraths, MSc, PhD Candidate

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 15, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): August 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 3, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 6, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): December 9, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 4, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 3, 2022
• Last Verified: October 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Children; Nutrition; Prevention; School; Fruit and vegetables
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20191129

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No
• IPD Plan Description: It is not our intention to share individual participant data with other researchers.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No