Knowledge, Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Healthy Eating Behavior Among Children: Results From the Building Healthy Communities Trial

Background/Aim. Increased knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about a topic and behavioral capability and self-efficacy for healthy eating are often a precursor to behavior change. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the multicomponent school-based program on children’s healthy eating knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy for healthy eating, and on their eating habits over time. Method. Quasi-experimental (4 treatment, 2 comparison) in a metropolitan area using a pretest–posttest method. Participants were 628 fifth-grade youth (377 treatment, 251 comparison) with a mean age of 9.9 years. The Building Healthy Communities (BHC) program is an 8-month school-wide healthy school transformation program and includes six main components. Outcome measures include children’s healthy eating knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavior. Missing data were imputed, confirmatory factor analysis tested scale factor structure, and path analysis determined a parsimonious path explaining behavior change. Results. The Student Attitudes and Self-Efficacy (SASE) scale had good measurement model fit. BHC group’s healthy eating knowledge and behaviors increased significantly, while SASE remained moderate. For both groups, the students’ knowledge and SASE significantly predicted their healthy eating behaviors; however, the intervention group accounted for a greater amount of variance (35% vs. 26%). Discussion. The BHC program was effective in improving healthy eating knowledge and behavior among youth, and the relationship between variables did not vary by group. Healthy eating knowledge is a significant predictor of both future knowledge and behavior.

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Mental Health, Behavior Change Skills, and Eating Behaviors in Postpartum Women

Western Journal of Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/01939459211021625 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 019394592110216

Author(s):

Yang Yu ◽

Qianheng Ma ◽

Isabel Diana Fernandez ◽

Susan W Groth

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Weight Retention ◽

Postpartum Weight ◽

And Behavior

Excessive postpartum weight retention conveys risks for future metabolic diseases. Eating behaviors influence postpartum weight retention; however, the modifiable predictors of eating behaviors remain unclear. Using data from a three-arm, randomized controlled trial, the purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal associations of mental health (e.g., depressive symptoms) and behavior change skills (e.g., self-efficacy) with eating behaviors (i.e., compensatory restraint, routine restraint, emotional eating, and external eating) among women (N = 424) over 18-months postpartum. Results revealed that depressive symptoms, perceived stress, healthy eating self-efficacy, overeating self-efficacy, self-weighing, and problem-solving confidence were associated with one or more of the examined eating behaviors. Furthermore, depressive symptoms moderated the association between healthy eating self-efficacy and routine restraint. Perceived stress moderated the associations between healthy eating/overeating self-efficacy and emotional eating. The findings suggest that mental health and behavior change skills may serve as targets for interventions designed to improve postpartum women’s eating behaviors. Clinical trials registry:ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01331564

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A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Feasibility Study of a WhatsApp-Delivered Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating Habits in Male Firefighters

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126633 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6633

Author(s):

Winnie Wing Man Ng ◽

Anthony Siu Wo Wong ◽

Kin Cheung

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Healthy Eating Habits ◽

Cluster Randomized

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.

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Promoting a Healthy Post-Collegiate Lifestyle: An Evaluation of the Moving On! Transition Program for Student-Athletes

Journal of Higher Education Athletics & Innovation ◽

10.15763/issn.2376-5267.2018.1.4.54-76 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 54-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Erin J Reifsteck ◽

DeAnne D Brooks ◽

Jamian D Newton ◽

Lenka H Shriver

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Focus Group ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Program Implementation ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Student Athletes ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Autonomous Motivation ◽

Future Research ◽

Self Perceptions

Former student-athletes may face challenges in maintaining physical activity and engaging in healthy eating after transitioning out of collegiate athletics. Maladaptive adjustments following athletic transitions can result in detrimental outcomes for former student-athletes, ranging from physical health concerns to negative psychosocial consequences. In contrast, positive transitions can promote optimal health and wellbeing. The Moving On! program was developed in recognition of the unique challenges faced by student-athletes and the importance of making healthy transitions out of college sports. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Moving On! program’s influence on several relevant theoretical constructs that influence health behaviors, including student-athletes’ self-perceptions and self-determined motivation for maintaining physical activity and healthy eating, along with their self-efficacy and intentions for engaging in these health-related behaviors after college. NCAA student-athletes in their final year of competition were recruited from two institutions. Participants (N = 20) completed the Moving On! program along with pre- and post-test surveys and focus group interviews. Survey results revealed positive changes in nutrition-related self-perceptions (t(19) = 2.406; p = 0.026; g = 0.38) and self-efficacy for healthy eating behaviors (t(19) = 3.022; p = 0.007; g = 0.70). No significant changes were observed for exercise identity (p = 0.845), physical activity self-efficacy (p = 0.114), or autonomous motivation for exercise (p = 0.108) and health eating (p = 0.264). Focus group responses indicated that student-athletes’ experiences in the program fostered positive shifts in their self-perceptions, enhanced their self-determined motivation, and reinforced their intentions for engaging in physical activity and healthy eating in the future. Implications for future research and program implementation are discussed.

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Evaluation of the Computer-Based Intervention Program Stayingfit Brazil to Promote Healthy Eating Habits: The Results from a School Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16101674 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. 1674

Author(s):

Karine Brito Beck da Silva ◽

Naiá Ortelan ◽

Sheila Giardini Murta ◽

Isabel Sartori ◽

Ricardo David Couto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Healthy Eating Habits ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

And Control

Interventions via the Internet are promising regarding the promotion of healthy habits among youth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an adapted version of StayingFit to promote healthy eating habits and the measurement adequacy of anthropometric markers among adolescents. A web school-based 12-month cluster-randomized controlled trial examining 7th to 9th grade students was conducted in twelve schools in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The schools’ students were randomly distributed into the intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in StayingFit, an online program designed to encourage and guide healthy eating habits and control body weight. Data on food consumption, anthropometry, physical activity level, and sedentary behavior were collected from all of the students at the beginning of and after the 12-month study. Demographic and socioeconomic data were collected at baseline. The baseline data indicated high rates of overweight (14.4% overweight and 8.5% obese), insufficiently active (87.6%), and sedentary (63.7%). Furthermore, few adolescents regularly consumed fruits (18.8%) and vegetables/legumes (16.4%). Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. At the end of the follow-up period, students in the intervention group had a 43% increased chance of regularly consuming beans (OR = 1.43, 95% CIs = 1.10–1.86) and a 35% decreased chance of regularly consuming soft drinks (OR = 0.65, 95% CIs = 0.50–0.84). No differences were found between the groups studied with regard to the anthropometric parameters. Despite these modest results, the implementation of a web intervention can be beneficial and help promote positive changes in adolescent eating habits.

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Effects of the Rango Cards game intervention on food consumption, nutritional knowledge and self-efficacy in the adoption of healthy eating practices of high school students: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980020000531 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (13) ◽

pp. 2424-2433 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carolina Martins dos Santos Chagas ◽

Giselle Rhai-Sa Melo ◽

Raquel Braz Assunção Botelho ◽

Natacha Toral

Keyword(s):

High School Students ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Nutritional Knowledge ◽

School Students ◽

Eating Practices

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.

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Mindful Eating Proficiency and Healthy Eating Literacy among Japanese Mothers: Associations with Their Own and Their Children’s Eating Behavior

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13124439 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 4439

Author(s):

Taro Nakamura ◽

Rie Akamatsu ◽

Nobuo Yoshiike

Keyword(s):

Eating Behavior ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Present Moment ◽

Mindful Eating ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Nursery Schools ◽

Healthy Eating Habits ◽

Japanese Mothers

Mindfulness is a process of focusing one’s attention on the present moment. Applying this concept to eating (i.e., mindful eating (ME)) is associated with regulated eating behaviors, particularly in people with obesity and who are overweight. Sustaining healthy eating habits requires both healthy eating literacy (HEL) and proficiency in ME. However, ME proficiency in Japanese people has not been sufficiently investigated. In this paper, we conduct a survey of mothers with 4- to 5-year-old children in Aomori City, Japan, to investigate their ME proficiency and HEL level and eating behavior and self-reported body mass index in both mothers and their children from August to September 2019. This study is the first to describe ME proficiency in Japanese mothers. The study sample includes 128 participants from 18 nursery schools. ME proficiency in mothers was positively correlated with both their own and their children’s eating behaviors, thereby suggesting a potential relationship, while strong relationships were not observed between the HEL level and eating behaviors of mothers and children. Improving ME skills, rather than HEL, may be an effective way to sustain healthier eating behaviors in mothers and their children. The level of evidence was Level V: Opinions of respected authorities based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.

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Leveraging Self-Affirmation to Improve Behavior Change: A Mobile Health App Experiment (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.9151 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Aaron Springer ◽

Anusha Venkatakrishnan ◽

Shiwali Mohan ◽

Lester Nelson ◽

Michael Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavior Change ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Low Cost ◽

Well Being ◽

Mobile App ◽

P Value ◽

Mobile Platforms ◽

Value Range ◽

Independent Variable

BACKGROUND mHealth interventions can help to improve the physical well-being of participants. Unfortunately, mHealth interventions often have low adherence and high attrition. One possible way to increase adherence is instructing participants to complete self-affirmation exercises. Self-affirmation exercises have been effective in increasing many types of positive behaviors. However, self-affirmation exercises often involve extensive essay writing, a task that is not easy to complete on mobile platforms. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to adapt a self-affirmation exercise to a form better suited for delivery through a mobile app targeting healthy eating behaviors, and to test the effect of differing self-affirmation doses on adherence to behavior change goals over time. METHODS We examined how varied self-affirmation doses affected behavior change in an mHealth app targeting healthy eating that participants used for 28 days. We divided participants into the 4 total conditions using a 2×2 factorial design. The first independent variable was whether the participant received an initial self-affirmation exercise. The second independent variable was whether the participant received ongoing booster self-affirmations throughout the 28-day study. To examine possible mechanisms through which self-affirmation may cause positive behavior change, we analyzed three aspects of self-affirmation effects in our research. First, we analyzed how adherence was affected by self-affirmation exercises. Second, we analyzed whether self-affirmation exercises reduced attrition rates from the app. Third, we examined a model for self-affirmation behavior change. RESULTS Analysis of 3556 observations from 127 participants indicated that higher doses of self-affirmation resulted in improved adherence to mHealth intervention goals (coefficient 1.42, SE 0.71, P=.04). This increased adherence did not seem to translate to a decrease in participant attrition (P value range .61-.96), although our definition of attrition was conservative. Finally, we examined the mechanisms by which self-affirmation may have affected intentions of behavior change; we built a model of intention (R2=.39, P<.001), but self-affirmation did not directly affect final intentions (P value range .09-.93). CONCLUSIONS Self-affirmations can successfully increase adherence to recommended diet and health goals in the context of an mHealth app. However, this increase in adherence does not seem to reduce overall attrition. The self-affirmation exercises we developed were simple to implement and had a low cost for both users and developers. While this study focused on an mHealth app for healthy eating, we recommend that other mHealth apps integrate similar self-affirmation exercises to examine effectiveness in other behaviors and contexts.

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Knowledge and Self-Efficacy Towards Eating Behaviors by People Living with Diabetes Mellitus

KnE Life Sciences ◽

10.18502/kls.v6i1.8617 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 288-298

Author(s):

Lisa Anita Sari ◽

Ani Astuti ◽

Diah Merdekawati

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Eating Behavior ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Healthy Eating Behavior ◽

The Impact

Diabetes mellitus sufferers have metabolic issues caused by insulin disorders which indicate hyperglycemia. Behavior related to food and eating, including the amount of calories, dietary choices, setting a meal plan, and control dietary challenges are particularly important for diabetes mellitus sufferers owing to the impact of these measures on the speed with which blood glucose levels increase. With better understanding, diabetic patients can analyze their food intake and adopt appropriate eating behaviors. Self-efficacy can affect the patient’s commitment to their health. Knowledge and self-efficacy support healthy eating behavior patterns. This study aims to identify the relationship between knowledge and self-efficacy with regards to eating behaviors among people living with diabetes mellitus. Bandura’s promotion model was provided as a conceptual framework. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit 201 participants with diabetes mellitus type 2. Data collection was via a Demographic Questionnaire, an Eating Behavior Questionnaire, a Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), and a Diabetes Mellitus Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (DMSQ). Data was analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis. The results indicate that participants’ eating behavior, knowledge, and self-efficacy were at a low level. This study also indicated a significant relationship between knowledge (p < 0,000) and self-efficacy (p < 0,00) and eating behaviors. The results provide important information to suggests that community nurses should increase the knowledge about diabetes mellitus management and use self-efficacy to design effective intervention to promote healthy eating behavior to keep blood sugar in control. Keywords: eating behavior, knowledge, self-efficacy, diabetes mellitus

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Mindful Eating Proficiency and Healthy Eating Literacy in Japanese Mothers: Associations with Their Own and Their Children’s Eating Behavior

10.21203/rs.3.rs-513005/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Taro Nakamura ◽

Nobuo Yoshiike

Keyword(s):

Eating Behavior ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Present Moment ◽

Mindful Eating ◽

Obese People ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Japanese Mothers

Abstract Purpose Mindfulness is a psychological process that can be developed using meditation and other types of training to focus on the present moment. Applying this concept to eating (i.e., mindful eating; ME) is associated with regulated eating behavior, especially in overweight or obese people. Sustaining healthy eating habits requires both healthy eating literacy (HEL) and proficiency in ME. However, ME proficiency in Japanese people has not been sufficiently investigated. Methods We conducted a survey of mothers with 4 to 5-year-old children in Aomori City, Japan, to investigate their ME proficiency and HEL level, as well as eating behavior and self-reported body mass index in both mothers and their children. This study was the first to describe ME proficiency in Japanese mothers. Results ME proficiency in mothers was positively correlated with both their own and their children’s eating behaviors, suggesting a potential relationship, while strong relationships were not observed between the HEL level and eating behaviors of mothers and children. Conclusion Improving ME skills, rather than HEL, may be an effective way to sustain healthier eating behaviors in mothers and their children. Level of evidence: Level I, Evidence obtained from experimental studies

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Tailored smartphone intervention to promote healthy eating among Brazilian adolescents: a randomised controlled trial protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038896 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. e038896

Author(s):

Giselle Rhaisa Melo ◽

Stefany Correa Lima ◽

Carolina M dos Santos Chagas ◽

Eduardo Y Nakano ◽

Natacha Toral

Keyword(s):

Stages Of Change ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Transtheoretical Model ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Nutritional Knowledge ◽

Senior Student ◽

Smartphone Intervention

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.

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