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July 1, 2026European Journal of NutritionOpen Access

Promoting and sustaining fruit intake among children aged 3–11 years: a before-and-after evaluation of a school-based intervention

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Authors

RMRaquel MartinsJFJoão FernandesRFRodrigo Feteira-Santos

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Overview

Randomized trial evaluates a school-based intervention to enhance fruit intake in children, indicating effective strategies for healthy eating.

Key Points

  • This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based intervention in promoting fruit intake among children aged 3-11 years.
  • Conducted a before-and-after assessment across 64 schools in Portugal
  • Implemented 12-week teacher-led activities using storytelling and gamification to encourage fruit consumption
  • Collected daily self-reports from students and teachers' records of fruit portions eaten at baseline and post-intervention.
  • Out of 1016 children, 357 had suboptimal baseline intake and tracked their daily fruit intake
  • Mean fruit intake increased from 2.09 to 2.44 portions/day (p < 0.001) and over half achieved regular intake by week 12
  • Children previously exposed to the intervention were 2.24 times more likely to meet fruit recommendations at baseline.

Cite This Study

Martins et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a44ae605cd2549c8bc43acehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-026-04042-3
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Integrating Mediterranean Diet Education and Sustainability in Primary Schools: A Two-Season Community-Based Intervention in Portugal2026
  2. 2Improvement of Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet through a Nutrition Education Teaching Pack for Teachers within the “School Fruit Scheme” Program: An Italian Long-Term Trial in School Children2024 · 6 citations
  3. 3Home-School-Based Nutrition Intervention Program to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Children and Adolescent: A Systematic Review2025
  4. 4A school-based food and nutrition education intervention increases nutrition-related knowledge and fruit consumption among primary school children in northern Ghana2024 · 5 citations
  5. 5Feasibility of a theory-based multicomponent intervention to improve diet and activity behaviours among primary school children: a pilot study2026