Impact of after-school nutrition workshops in a public library setting.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if after-school nutrition workshops conducted in public libraries were related to lasting changes in food choice. METHODS: « Snack Smart » workshops, based on Social Cognitive Theory, were conducted in 8 branch libraries (49 ethnically diverse children, ages 9 to 14) to assess changes in consumption of targeted food items by pretest, posttest, and follow-up food frequency questionnaires. Results were analyzed using the Friedman test for repeated measures and Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Intake of milk, vegetables, and water significantly increased at 3-week posttest (P < .05), but only water intake showed a significant change from pretest to follow-up 3 months later. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This low-intensity program did not produce lasting behavior change, as measured by changes in food frequency at 3 months post- intervention. The study supports the need to critically evaluate out-of-school nutrition programs for lasting impact. Copyright 2010 Society for Nutrition Education. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved