A growing trend of overweight and obesity in children and consequently a rise in modern civilization diseases in adulthood, contributed to the formation of the programmes encouraging children and adolescents to obtain healthy eating habits. The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is a measure of the European agricultural policy, which encourages an increase in consumption of fruit and vegetable in children. In order to make the impact of the measure long-term, it is essential to also inform families about the measure, and to encourage them to support the activities related to the measure.
In the master´s thesis, we have studied knowledge and attitude of parents of primary school children in the 3rd, 6th, and 8th grade toward the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, their observations regarding the influence of the measure on eating habits, and eating knowledge of children and family. The research was based on descriptive and causal-non-experimental method of empirical research. A questionnaire, designed based on the data obtained from professional and science literature, was used as a research instrument. Sampling took place at two primary schools participating in the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, and the sample encompassed 224 parents.
We have established that in general parents are poorly informed about the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme measure, and many of them do not even know the measure. An important establishment is that there are differences among the schools regarding informing the parents about the measure, which is also reflected in knowledge about the measure among the parents. Parents, whom the measure have already been introduced, had a more positive point of view on the scheme compared to those who were not introduced to the measure. It has turned out that there are differences among the schools in regard to implementation of the measure. The differences are in the frequency and constancy of distributing fruit and vegetable. One school distributes only fruit, and the other one distributes fruit as well as vegetable. Accompanying activities are not organized at one school, while the other school organizes science days and farm visits, but neither of the schools have included parents in the accompanying activities. The majority of parents have a positive attitude toward free distribution of fruit and vegetable at school, but they do not observe a significant impact on eating habits of children.
The results of the research revealed that parents need to be more systematically informed about the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, and it is also necessary to establish a better communication among them and school and actively involve them in activities. In regard to the imperfections in implementation of the measure, a control over its implementation should be improved.
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