scholarly journals The effects of a middle-school healthy eating intervention on adolescents' fat and fruit intake and soft drinks consumption

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 443-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leen Haerens ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽  
Lea Maes ◽  
Carine Vereecken ◽  
Johannes Brug ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the effects of a middle-school healthy eating promotion intervention combining environmental changes and computer-tailored feedback, with and without an explicit parent involvement component.DesignClustered randomised controlled trial.SettingFifteen West-Flemish (Belgian) middle schools.SubjectsA random sample of 15 schools with 2991 pupils in 7th and 8th grades was randomly assigned to an intervention group with parental support (n = 5), an intervention group without parental support (n = 5) and a control group (n = 5). In these 15 schools an intervention combining environmental changes with computer-tailored feedback was implemented. Fat and fruit intake, water and soft drinks consumption were measured with food-frequency questionnaires in the total sample of children.ResultsIn girls, fat intake and percentage of energy from fat decreased significantly more in the intervention group with parental support, compared with the intervention alone group (all F>3.9, P < 0.05) and the control group (all F>16.7, P < 0.001). In boys, there were no significant decreases in fat intake (F = 1.4, not significant (NS)) or percentage of energy from fat (F = 0.7, NS) as a result of the intervention. No intervention effects were found in boys or in girls for fruit (F = 0.5, NS), soft drinks (F = 2.6, NS) and water consumption (F = 0.3, NS).ConclusionsCombining physical and social environmental changes with computer-tailored feedback in girls and their parents can induce lower fat intake in middle-school girls. However, to have an impact on the consumption of soft drinks and water, governmental laws that restrict the at-school availability of low-nutritive products may be necessary.

Author(s):  
Winnie Wing Man Ng ◽  
Anthony Siu Wo Wong ◽  
Kin Cheung

This cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT)-designed study aimed to explore the feasibility of a promotion pamphlet and/or WhatsApp as a suitable mode of delivery to promote healthy eating habits with fruit and vegetables (F&V) among firefighters. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were used. Forty-five firefighters from 23 fire stations were recruited and they all received the printed pamphlet, while the intervention group participants (n = 20) received additional teaching material through WhatsApp every two weeks for eight weeks. Feasibility outcomes included retention, practicality, and implementation. The participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. There were significant improvements in the mean numbers of days consuming F&V (p = 0.002; p = 0.031) in the intervention group, and for fruit consumption (p = 0.033) in the control group between the baseline (T0) and 3 months after completion of intervention (T1). High levels of participants’ satisfaction with the intervention revealed that a full-scale CRCT of the WhatsApp-delivered intervention promoting healthy eating could be feasible, especially as a means of increasing the numbers of days they consumed F&V and the numbers of servings of these consumed per day.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (13) ◽  
pp. 2424-2433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Martins dos Santos Chagas ◽  
Giselle Rhai-Sa Melo ◽  
Raquel Braz Assunção Botelho ◽  
Natacha Toral

AbstractObjective:The study aimed to assess the impact of a game-based nutritional intervention on food consumption, nutritional knowledge and self-efficacy in the adoption of healthy eating practices.Design:This cluster randomised controlled trial included both male and female high school students from private schools in the Federal District, Brazil. Four schools were randomly selected for each group. Investigated variables were age, sex, monthly family income, maternal education level, dietary perceptions and practices, nutritional knowledge and self-efficacy in the adoption of healthy eating practices.Setting:Intervention group participants were instructed to play Rango Cards, a digital game developed for the study, on their own, for a period of 7–17 d, while the control group was not provided with any game or material during the study.Participants:The study included 319 adolescents (mean age = 15·8 (sd 0·7) years).Results:Significant reductions were observed in the intervention group compared with the control group for the following variables: habit of eating while watching TV or studying and having meals at fast food restaurants. The intervention group showed increased knowledge of the effects of fruit and vegetable consumption as well as improved self-efficacy in the adoption of healthy eating practices such as reducing Na intake and preparing healthy meals.Conclusions:The design of Rango Cards is potentially capable of effecting positive changes. Therefore, the digital game promotes autonomy and self-care among adolescents with regard to healthy eating.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Asigbee ◽  
Annie Markowitz ◽  
Matthew Landry ◽  
Sarvenaz Vandyousefi ◽  
Reem Ghaddar ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives This study assessed how child cooking involvement (CCI) and parental support in food preparation (PS) are related to vegetable preference (VP), vegetable intake (VI), and fruit intake (FI) in children participating in the Texas, Grow! Eat! Go! (TGEG) randomized controlled trial. Methods Baseline data from the TGEG intervention, conducted in 28 low-income, primarily Hispanic schools across Texas, was used for this study, and included 1325 3rd grade students and their parents. Schools were assigned to: (1) control group; (2) school garden intervention [Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! (LGEG)]; (3) physical activity intervention [Walk Across Texas (WAT)]; or (4) combined group (LGEG plus WAT). Height (via stadiometer), weight (via Tanita scale), dietary intake and CCI (via child questionnaire), and PS (via parent questionnaire) were collected. General Linear Models examined variations in baseline VP, VI, and FI with baseline CCI and PS. A priori covariates for all analyses included: TGEG treatment group, age, sex, and ethnicity. Results Students were 49.2% male and 42.4% Hispanic with a mean age of 8.3 ± 0.6; 78.3% of the population had overweight/obesity. Children who never cooked with their families preferred fewer vegetables than children who sometimes/always cooked with their parents (7.0 ± 0.6 vs. 8.7 ± 0.5 and 9.4 ± 0.5 vegetables, respectively; P < 0.001). Children who never cooked with their families ate less vegetables than children who sometimes/always cooked with their parents (1.9 ± 0.4 vs. 2.6 ± 0.3 and 3.5 ± 0.3 servings/day, respectively; P = 0.003 and P = 0.000, respectively). Children who never cooked with their families ate less fruit than children who sometimes/always cooked with their parents (1.2 ± 0.2 vs. 1.5 ± 0.1 and 2.09 ± 0.1 servings/day, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusions Interventions including family cooking activities with children may be an effective way to increase vegetable preference and intake, and fruit intake, especially in high-risk, minority children. Funding Sources The research was supported by funding from the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, (grant 2011-68001-30138).


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e038896
Author(s):  
Giselle Rhaisa Melo ◽  
Stefany Correa Lima ◽  
Carolina M dos Santos Chagas ◽  
Eduardo Y Nakano ◽  
Natacha Toral

IntroductionAdolescent eating patterns are characterised by high consumption of unhealthy foods, which has resulted in an increasing prevalence of overweight and chronic diseases. It is crucial to promote healthy eating habits, and nutritional interventions based on the transtheoretical model have been found to be especially effective. Mobile health strategies also seem promising for adolescents. This study aims to outline a smartphone intervention via WhatsApp for adolescents to promote healthy eating consumption, better nutritional knowledge, self-efficacy in the adoption of healthy practices and progress through the stages of change.Methods and analysisThere will be three distinct groups in this randomised study: a general intervention group (GG), in which the participants will receive the same healthy eating messages, based on the Brazilian food guide; a tailored intervention group (TG), in which the participants will receive healthy eating messages based on their stage of change; and a control group (CG), in which participants will receive messages on a different theme. Possession of a smartphone, use of WhatsApp and being a senior student (16–19 years) from a public school of the Federal District of Brazil will be the study’s inclusion criteria. Rural schools will be excluded. The sample size estimated is 390 individuals: 38 in the GG, 314 in the TG and 38 in the CG. The intervention will last 6 weeks, with a daily message sent to the students. We will investigate nutritional knowledge, self-efficacy in the adoption of healthy eating practices, food consumption and stages of change using preintervention and postintervention questionnaires. Memorisation of the messages will be also assessed.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the University of Brasília, School of Health Sciences and Research Ethics Committee. At the end of the study, the participating schools will receive a printed report with the main results of the intervention.Trial registration numberRBR-5b9jk7.


Author(s):  
Yan-Hui Shen ◽  
Zheng Liu ◽  
Wen-Hao Li ◽  
Shuang Zhou ◽  
Jin-Hui Xu ◽  
...  

Misperception of nutritional status is common and hinders the progress of childhood obesity prevention. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a smartphone-assisted intervention to improve student and parental perception of students’ nutritional status (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese). We conducted a parallel-group controlled trial with a non-randomized design in three junior middle schools of Beijing, China in 2019. One school was allocated to the intervention group and two schools to the control group. A total of 573 students (aged 13.1 ± 0.4 years) participated in the trial. The 3-month intervention included three components: health education sessions for students and parents, regular monitoring of students’ weight, and the provision of feedback via a smartphone application. Schools in the control group continued their usual practice. Primary outcomes included the student and parental accurate perception of students’ nutritional status. The percentage of students’ accurate perception of their own nutritional status in the intervention group increased from 49.0% to 59.2% from baseline to three months, whereas it decreased from 64.1% to 58.1% in the control group; the adjusted odds ratio (OR) between the two groups was 1.71 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 2.59). The intervention did not significantly improve parental perception of students’ nutritional status (p > 0.05). The study findings provided a brief approach for improving perception of nutritional status among middle school students.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiharu Mitsuhashi

Background The Internet is widely used as a source of information by people searching for medical or healthcare information. However, information found on the Internet has several drawbacks, and the ability to consume accurate health information on the Internet (eHealth literacy) is increasingly important. This study’s goal was to clarify the extent to which eHealth literacy is improved after e-learning in a randomized controlled trial. Methods Data were collected on 301 Japanese adults through an online survey. Participants were assigned to the intervention (e-learning about eHealth literacy) group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group included 148 participants, and 153 participants were in the control group. The participants provided information at baseline on demographic characteristics, self-rated health, and frequency of Internet searching. The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), which was the main measure of eHealth literacy, and data on secondary outcomes (the Healthy Eating Literacy Scale and skill for evaluating retrieved search results) were obtained at baseline and at follow-up. The score difference was calculated by subtracting the score at baseline from the score at follow-up. Linear regression analysis and multinomial regression analysis were performed using the differences in score as the dependent variables and the intervention as the explanatory variable. Intention-to-treat analysis was employed. Results The results from participants who responded to all of the questions both times were analyzed (134 in the intervention group and 148 in the control group). eHEALS increased 1.57 points due to the intervention effect (Δ score change = 1.57; 95% CI [0.09–3.05]; p = 0.037). Skills for evaluating retrieved search results improved more in the intervention group than in the control group (relative risk ratio = 2.47; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.33, 4.59; p = 0.004). There were no large differences at baseline between the intervention and control groups in the eHEALS, Healthy Eating Literacy scale, or skill for evaluating retrieved search results. However, at follow-up, the intervention group had improved more than the control group on both the eHEALS and skill for evaluating retrieved search results. Discussion eHealth literacy improved after the e-learning, as evidenced by the change to the eHEALS scores and increased skill for evaluating retrieved search results. There was no significant effect of e-learning, which did not include content on healthy eating, on the Healthy Eating Literacy Scale scores. This indicates that scores did not increase much due to effects other than e-learning, as is sometimes seen with the Hawthorne effect. Although it was statistically significant, the effect size was small. Therefore, future research is necessary to verify the clinical implications. In sum, this study suggests that e-learning is an effective way to improve eHealth literacy.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Leis ◽  
Stéphanie Ward ◽  
Hassan Vatanparast ◽  
Louise Humbert ◽  
Amanda Froehlich Chow ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Since young children spend approximately 30 hours per week in early childcare centres (ECC), this setting is ideal to foster healthy behaviors. This study aimed to asses the effectiveness of the Healthy Start-Départ Santé (HSDS) randomized controlled trial in increasing physical activity (PA) levels and improving healthy eating and fundamental movement skills in preschoolers attending ECC. Methods: Sixty-one ECC were randomly selected and allocated to either the usual practice (n=30; n=433 children) or intervention group (n=31; n=464 children). The HSDS intervention group was provided a 3-hour on-site training for childcare educators which aimed to increase their knowledge and self-efficacy in promoting healthy eating, PA and development of fundamental movement skills in preschoolers. PA was measured during childcare hours for five consecutive days using the Actical accelerometer. Preschoolers’ fundamental movement skills were assessed using the standard TGMD-II protocol and POMP scores. Food intake was evaluated using digital photography-assisted weighted plate waste at lunch, over two consecutive days. All data were collected prior to the HSDS intervention and again 9 months later. Mixed-effect models were used to analyse the effectiveness of the HSDS intervention on all outcome measures. Results: Total number of children who provided valid data at baseline and endpoint for PA, food intake and fundamental movement skills were 259, 670 and 492, respectively. Children in the HSDS intervention group had, on average, a 3.33 greater point increase in their locomotor motor skills scores than children in the control group (β=3.33, p=0.009). No significant differences in effects were observed for object control, PA and food intake. However, results demonstrated a marginal increase in portions of fruits and vegetables served in the intervention group compared to control group (β=0.06, p=0.05). Conclusion: Locomotor skills showed a significant improvement in the intervention group compared to the control one. Although modest beneficial effects of HSDS were found, most outcome indicators progressed in a direction favouring the HSDS intervention compared to the usual practice group.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Leis ◽  
Stéphanie Ward ◽  
Hassan Vatanparast ◽  
Louise Humbert ◽  
Amanda Froehlich Chow ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Since young children spend approximately 30 hours per week in early childcare centres (ECC), this setting is ideal to foster healthy behaviors. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Healthy Start-Départ Santé (HSDS) randomized controlled trial in increasing physical activity (PA) levels and improving healthy eating and fundamental movement skills in preschoolers attending ECC. Methods: Sixty-one ECC were randomly selected and allocated to either the usual practice (n=30; n=433 children) or intervention group (n=31; n=464 children). The HSDS intervention group was provided a 3-hour on-site training for childcare educators which aimed to increase their knowledge and self-efficacy in promoting healthy eating, PA and development of fundamental movement skills in preschoolers. PA was measured during childcare hours for five consecutive days using the Actical accelerometer. Preschoolers’ fundamental movement skills were assessed using the standard TGMD-II protocol and POMP scores. Food intake was evaluated using digital photography-assisted weighted plate waste at lunch, over two consecutive days. All data were collected prior to the HSDS intervention and again 9 months later. Mixed-effect models were used to analyse the effectiveness of the HSDS intervention on all outcome measures. Results: Total number of children who provided valid data at baseline and endpoint for PA, food intake and fundamental movement skills were 259, 670 and 492, respectively. Children in the HSDS intervention group had, on average, a 3.33 greater point increase in their locomotor motor skills scores than children in the control group (β=3.33, p=0.009). No significant differences in effects were observed for object control, PA and food intake. However, results demonstrated a marginal increase in portions of fruits and vegetables served in the intervention group compared to control group (β=0.06, p=0.05).Conclusion: Of the 12 outcome variables investigated in this study, 10 were not different between the study groups and two of them (locomotor skills and vegetables and fruits servings) showed a significant improvement. This suggests that HSDS is an effective intervention for the promotion of some healthy behaviours among preschoolers attending ECC.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Leis ◽  
Stéphanie Ward ◽  
Hassan Vatanparast ◽  
Louise Humbert ◽  
Amanda Froehlich Chow ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Since young children spend approximately 30 hours per week in early childcare centres (ECC), this setting is ideal to foster healthy behaviors. This study aimed to asses the effectiveness of the Healthy Start-Départ Santé (HSDS) randomized controlled trial in increasing physical activity (PA) levels and improving healthy eating and fundamental movement skills in preschoolers attending ECC. Methods: Sixty-one ECC were randomly selected and allocated to either the usual practice (n=30; n=433 children) or intervention group (n=31; n=464 children). The HSDS intervention group was provided a 3-hour on-site training for childcare educators which aimed to increase their knowledge and self-efficacy in promoting healthy eating, PA and development of fundamental movement skills in preschoolers. PA was measured during childcare hours for five consecutive days using the Actical accelerometer. Preschoolers’ fundamental movement skills were assessed using the standard TGMD-II protocol and POMP scores. Food intake was evaluated using digital photography-assisted weighted plate waste at lunch, over two consecutive days. All data were collected prior to the HSDS intervention and again 9 months later. Mixed-effect models were used to analyse the effectiveness of the HSDS intervention on all outcome measures. Results: Total number of children who provided valid data at baseline and endpoint for PA, food intake and fundamental movement skills were 259, 670 and 492, respectively. Children in the HSDS intervention group had, on average, a 3.33 greater point increase in their locomotor motor skills scores than children in the control group (β=3.33, p=0.009). No significant differences in effects were observed for object control, PA and food intake. However, results demonstrated a marginal increase in portions of fruits and vegetables served in the intervention group compared to control group (β=0.06, p=0.05). Conclusion: Locomotor skills showed a significant improvement in the intervention group compared to the control one. Although modest beneficial effects of HSDS were found, most outcome indicators progressed in a direction favouring the HSDS intervention compared to the usual practice group.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 428-428
Author(s):  
Jasmine Low ◽  
Jung Eun Kim ◽  
Ee Hock Kua ◽  
Johnson Fam

Abstract Objectives Dietary counselling is an effective nutritional strategy for improving dietary quality and cardiometabolic health, but these beneficial effects have not been well studied in older adults, especially in Asia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of dietary counselling on cardiometabolic health outcomes and dietary quality in older Singaporean adults. Methods This was a 12-week, parallel design, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-six women aged above 60 y were randomized where the intervention group received dietary counselling (n = 14) and the control group did not receive dietary counselling (n = 12). Anthropometric measurement, blood pressure, fasting lipid-lipoprotein, glucose and insulin levels were examined at baseline and week 12. The interactive dietary counselling sessions were conducted by a qualified nutritionist every week and each session took 60 minutes. The counselling topics included healthy eating pattern, proper food proportioning, food label reading and several age-related diseases. All participants completed a 3-day food record and the dietary quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010). All results were reported as least square means ± SD. Results A significant decrease in serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol level was detected in the intervention group (3.3 mmol/L ± 1.0 to 3.1 mmol/L ± 0.8, P &lt; 0.05) whereas the control group unchanged (3.8 mmol/L ± 0.6 to 3.7 mmol/L ± 0.7). Moreover, although there was an increase in waist circumference in the control group (76 cm ± 7 to 80 cm ± 6, P &lt; 0.05), no change was observed in the intervention group (76 cm ± 7 to 77 cm ± 9). Other anthropometric and cardiometabolic measurements were not changed after intervention. Both groups showed an increase in dietary quality based on the AHEI-2010 score after intervention however change was only significant in the intervention group (44.0 ± 9.1 to 48.9 ± 8.7, P &lt; 0.05). l group, but a significant time effect was observed (P = 0.009). Conclusions The provision of dietary counselling confers the benefits in the cardiometabolic health outcomes and these benefits may be explained by the improvement in dietary quality in Singaporean older adults. Funding Sources National University of Singapore (NUS), NUS-Mind Science Centre.


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