Using stated and revealed preferences to assess the impact of community-based agricultural education summer camps on youth food preferences

Abstract

This study utilized stated and revealed food preferences to investigate the impact of summer garden camps on food knowledge and preference in school-aged children from Atlanta, GA. Seventy-one children from two garden camps in Atlanta participated in a survey and food choice experiment pre- and post-camp participation. Results indicate that after participating in the garden camps children significantly improved their knowledge of healthy foods and expressed a greater stated preference for certain fruits and vegetables that were targeted by the camps. Families with lower-incomes achieved greater improvement in food knowledge and revealed preferences for fresh fruit and vegetables. Children from Black, Biracial and Hispanic racial and ethnic groups hold the lowest income levels within the sample. Thus the camps greater rate of positive impact on lower-income children extends to these families. The results indicate summer camps offer promise in achieving better diet and health standards for children.