2.1. Participants and Recruitment
communication disabilities
RECRUITMENT, MALABSORPTION, PACS
Parents/adult caregivers and one 8–9-year-old child from the central Ohio area were invited to participate as dyads. Recruitment occurred via communication with local schools that received federal funding for free, as well as reduced-price, breakfast and lunch to students, in order to target dyads from low-resource/under-resourced communities. Interested PACs were screened for eligibility prior to scheduling a baseline orientation/data collection visit. Additional inclusion criteria included the following: (1) fluent English-speaking dyads and (2) ability to consume fruits and vegetables without concerns of medication–nutrient interactions. Exclusion criteria included the following: (1) diagnosed with mental, physical, or communication disabilities, or difficulties that would impair full participation in all components of the intervention; (2) lack of transportation to weekly classes; (3) non-English speaking; (4) consuming over-the-counter herbals, botanicals, or nutritional supplements (excluding multivitamins); (5) diagnosed with active metabolic or digestive illnesses, which may result in nutrient malabsorption. Participating caregivers were required to be a primary caregiver responsible for food procurement and preparation for the participating child, though no specific relationship was required (e.g., mother/father, aunt/uncle). All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of The Ohio State University’s institutional review board and the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.