Psychological Mechanisms of Interactions between Improvements in Exercise and Healthy Eating Behaviors (Coaction) within a Community-Based Obesity Treatment Setting

The American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization recommend responsive feeding (RF) to promote healthy eating behaviors in early childhood. This project developed and tested a vicarious learning video to teach parents RF practices. A RF vicarious learning video was developed using community-based participatory research methods. Fifty parents of preschoolers were randomly assigned to watch Happier Meals or a control video about education. Knowledge and beliefs about RF practices were measured 1 week before and immediately after intervention. Experimental group participants also completed measures of narrative engagement and video acceptability. Seventy-four percent of the sample was White, 90% had at least a college degree, 96% were married, and 88% made >$50,000/year. RF knowledge increased ( p = .03) and positive beliefs about some unresponsive feeding practices decreased ( ps < .05) more among experimental than control parents. Knowledge and belief changes were associated with video engagement ( ps < .05). Parents perceived Happier Meals as highly relevant, applicable, and informative. Community-based participatory research methods were instrumental in developing this vicarious learning video, with preliminary evidence of effectiveness in teaching parents about RF. Happier Meals is freely available for parents or community health workers to use when working with families to promote healthy eating behaviors in early childhood.

Download Full-text

Actively Involving Middle School Students in the Implementation of a Pilot of a Behavioral Economics–Based Lunchroom Intervention in Rural Schools

Health Promotion Practice ◽

10.1177/1524839918807717 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 675-683 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Natoshia M. Askelson ◽

Patrick Brady ◽

Grace Ryan ◽

Cristian Meier ◽

Cristina Ortiz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Economics ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Food Service ◽

Environmental Interventions ◽

School Based ◽

Service Staff ◽

Policy Systems ◽

Healthy Eating Behaviors

School-based interventions can play an important role in improving childhood and adolescent nutrition and preventing obesity. Schools offer a unique opportunity to implement policy, systems, and environmental interventions targeting healthy eating behaviors. An intervention was piloted in six middle schools featuring behavioral economics–based changes to the lunchroom, communication training, and communicate cues for food service staff. The pilot study employed a multicomponent evaluation with students and food service directors and staff including a lunchroom assessment, online surveys, production records, and interviews. Five schools increased their scores on the lunchroom assessment tool, and four schools increased the number of servings produced of healthy food items. Interviews with food service directors indicated the interventions was feasible and well received. School-based policy, systems, and environmental interventions targeting healthy eating behaviors may play a role in preventing obesity in children and adolescents.

Download Full-text

Efficacy of a brief web-based intervention with and without SMS to enhance healthy eating behaviors among university students

Eating Behaviors ◽

10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.08.012 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 ◽

pp. 104-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lauren M. O'Brien ◽

Tibor P. Palfai

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Web Based ◽

Healthy Eating Behaviors

Download Full-text

A scale for restaurant customers’ healthy menu choices: individual and environmental factors

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management ◽

10.1108/ijchm-06-2017-0377 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 217-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

EunHa Jeong ◽

SooCheong (Shawn) Jang ◽

Carl Behnke ◽

James Anderson ◽

Jonathon Day

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Online Survey ◽

Social Impact ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Survey Method ◽

Content Type ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Healthy Eating Behaviors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the dimensions of restaurant customers’ engagement or disengagement with healthy eating in terms of individual and environmental factors to develop a scale. The results identified the underlying constructs of customers’ individual motives for and perceived barriers to healthy eating, as well as environmental elements of restaurants that encourage or discourage healthy eating. Design/methodology/approach To develop an appropriate set of measures to assess factors influencing customers’ healthy eating behaviors at restaurants, the current study undertook the five steps of scale development suggested by Churchill (1979): specifying the domain of constructs, generating a pool of initial measurement items, assessing content adequacy, administering questionnaires (an online survey method) and purifying and finalizing the measurement (via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using 410 samples and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using 423 samples). Findings The results revealed ten individual factors (health, body image, weight control, feeling better, unappealing food, cost perception, lack of knowledge, state of mind (stress), lack of self-control and negative influences) and five environmental factors (healthy indications, social impact, availability of healthy menu, price policy and unhealthy indications) influencing customers’ healthy eating behaviors at restaurants. Originality/value This study developed an appropriate set of measures to assess individual and environmental factors influencing restaurant customers’ healthy eating behaviors, along with identifying underlying sub-constructs. The reliability and validity of the scale and the factor structure are presented and potential applications and theoretical contributions of the scale are provided as well.

Download Full-text