The effectiveness of an interactive organ donation education intervention for Dutch lower-educated students: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Background: Organ donation registration rates remain low, especially among people with lower educational levels. An interactive educational intervention was developed to prepare lower-educated students in the Netherlands for making a well-informed decision about organ donation. This article reports on the effects of this intervention on the intention to register (i.e. the primary outcome in the study at hand) and beliefs regarding organ donation.Methods: The effectiveness was investigated in a post-test only cluster randomized controlled trial, in which the intervention was offered to the experimental group and after measurement also to the control group. Randomization to the experimental and control groups took place at a class level. Teachers of schools for intermediate vocational education who taught a course on Citizenship delivered three intervention elements (i.e. video fragments and discussion, quizzes with tailored feedback and exercise filling out a registration form) to their students during two 50-minute lessons.Results: A total of 1170 students participated in the trial and filled out a questionnaire. After receiving the intervention, more students were intending to register a decision (OR=1.81; 95%CI [1.10-2.96]), their perceived knowledge increased (B=.62; 95%CI [.23-1.01]) and they had higher intentions to talk to family members (B=.68; 95%CI [.28-1.08]) and friends (B=.36; 95%CI [.07-.66]) about organ donation. There were no effects on the choice students intended to register (OR=1.08; 95%CI [.67-1.73]).Conclusions: Providing education in a classroom setting is an effective tool in increasing registration intentions. Despite uncertainties about the effects on actual registration behavior, a larger scale dissemination of this intervention is recommended. Providing clear information and opening the discussion about organ donation is an important and promising first step towards higher registration rates.

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The effectiveness of an interactive organ donation education intervention for Dutch lower-educated students: a cluster randomized controlled trial

10.21203/rs.2.12387/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Esther Steenaart ◽

Rik Crutzen ◽

Math JJM Candel ◽

Nanne K de Vries

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Organ Donation ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Class Level ◽

Post Test ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

And Control

Abstract Background Organ donation registration rates remain low, especially among people with lower educational levels. An interactive educational intervention was developed to prepare lower-educated students in the Netherlands for making a well-informed decision about organ donation. This article reports on the effects of this intervention on the intention to register (i.e. the primary outcome in the study at hand) and beliefs regarding organ donation. Methods The effectiveness was investigated in a post-test only cluster randomized controlled trial, in which the intervention was offered to the experimental group and after measurement also to the control group. Randomization to the experimental and control groups took place at a class level. Teachers of schools for intermediate vocational education who taught a course on Citizenship delivered three intervention elements (i.e. video fragments and discussion, quizzes with tailored feedback and exercise filling out a registration form) to their students during two 50-minute lessons. Results A total of 1170 students participated in the trial and filled out a questionnaire. After receiving the intervention, more students were intending to register a decision (OR=1.81; 95%CI [1.10-2.96]), their perceived knowledge increased (B=.62; 95%CI [.23-1.01]) and they had higher intentions to talk to family members (B=.68; 95%CI [.28-1.08]) and friends (B=.36; 95%CI [.07-.66]) about organ donation. There were no effects on the choice students intended to register (OR=1.08; 95%CI [.67-1.73]). Conclusions Providing education in a classroom setting is an effective tool in increasing registration intentions. Despite uncertainties about the effects on actual registration behavior, a larger scale dissemination of this intervention is recommended. Providing clear information and opening the discussion about organ donation is an important and promising first step towards higher registration rates. Trial registration: The Dutch Trial Register, NTR6771. Registered on 24 October 2017. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6557

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The effectiveness of an interactive organ donation education intervention for Dutch lower-educated students: a cluster randomized controlled trial

10.21203/rs.2.12387/v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Esther Steenaart ◽

Rik Crutzen ◽

Math JJM Candel ◽

Nanne K de Vries

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Organ Donation ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Post Test ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

And Control ◽

Experimental Group

Abstract Background: Organ donation registration rates remain low, especially among people with lower educational levels. An interactive educational intervention was developed to prepare lower-educated students in the Netherlands for making a well-informed decision about organ donation. This article reports on the effects of this intervention on the intention to register (i.e. the primary outcome in the study at hand) and beliefs regarding organ donation. Methods: The effectiveness was investigated in a post-test only cluster randomized controlled trial, in which the intervention was offered to the experimental group and after measurement also to the control group. Randomization to the experimental and control groups took place at a class level. Teachers of schools for intermediate vocational education who taught a course on Citizenship delivered three intervention elements (i.e. video fragments and discussion, quizzes with tailored feedback and exercise filling out a registration form) to their students during two 50-minute lessons. Results: A total of 1170 students participated in the trial and filled out a questionnaire (45 experimental and 43 control classes). Compared to the control group, students in the experimental group had higher odds of having positive registration intentions (OR=1.81; 95%CI [1.10-2.96]), their perceived knowledge was higher (B=.62; 95%CI [.23-1.01]) and they had higher intentions to talk to family members (B=.68; 95%CI [.28-1.08]) and friends (B=.36; 95%CI [.07-.66]) about organ donation. There were no effects on the choice students intended to register (OR=1.08; 95%CI [.67-1.73]). Conclusions: Providing education in a classroom setting is an effective tool in increasing registration intentions. Despite uncertainties about the effects on actual registration behavior, a larger scale dissemination of this intervention is recommended. Providing clear information and opening the discussion about organ donation is an important and promising first step towards higher registration rates. Trial registration: The Dutch Trial Register, NTR6771. Registered on 24 October 2017. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6557

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The effectiveness of an interactive organ donation education intervention for Dutch lower-educated students: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-019-3882-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Esther Steenaart ◽

Rik Crutzen ◽

Math J. J. M. Candel ◽

Nanne K. de Vries

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Organ Donation ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Post Test ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

And Control ◽

Experimental Group

Abstract Background Organ donation registration rates remain low, especially among people with lower educational levels. An interactive educational intervention was developed to prepare lower-educated students in the Netherlands for making a well-informed decision about organ donation. This article reports on the effects of this intervention on the intention to register (i.e., the primary outcome in the study at hand) and beliefs regarding organ donation. Materials and methods The effectiveness was investigated in a post-test-only cluster randomized controlled trial, in which the intervention was offered to the experimental group and after measurement also to the control group. Randomization to the experimental and control groups took place at a class level. Teachers of schools for Intermediate Vocational Education who taught a course on Citizenship delivered three intervention elements (i.e., video fragments and discussion, quizzes with tailored feedback and exercise filling out a registration form) to their students during two 50-min lessons. Results A total of 1170 students participated in the trial and filled out a questionnaire (45 experimental and 43 control classes). Compared to the control group, students in the experimental group had higher odds of having positive registration intentions (OR = 1.81; 95%CI [1.10–2.96]), their perceived knowledge was higher (B = 0.62; 95%CI [0.23–1.01]) and they had higher intentions to talk to family members (B = 0.68; 95%CI [0.28–1.08]) and friends (B = 0.36; 95%CI [0.07–0.66]) about organ donation. There were no effects on the choice students intended to register (OR = 1.08; 95%CI [0.67–1.73]). Conclusions Providing education in a classroom setting is an effective tool in increasing registration intentions. Despite uncertainties about the effects on actual registration behavior, a larger-scale dissemination of this intervention is recommended. Providing clear information and opening the discussion about organ donation is an important and promising first step towards higher registration rates. Trial registration The Dutch Trial Register, ID: NTR6771. Registered on 24 October 2017. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6557

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Evaluation of a collaborative protocolized approach by community pharmacies and general medical practitioners for an Australian minor ailments scheme: study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13973 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Dineen-Griffin ◽

Victoria Garcia Cardenas ◽

Kylie Williams ◽

Shalom Isaac Benrimoj

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Usual Care ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Self Care ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Minor Ailments ◽

Cluster Randomized

BACKGROUND Internationally, governments have been investing in supporting pharmacists to take on an expanded role to support self-care for health system efficiency. There is consistent evidence that minor ailment schemes (MAS) promote efficiencies within the healthcare system. The cost savings and health outcomes demonstrated in the UK and Canada opens up new opportunities for pharmacists to effect sustainable changes through MAS delivery in Australia. OBJECTIVE This trial is evaluating the clinical, economic and humanistic impact of an Australian minor ailments service (AMAS), compared with usual pharmacy care in a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Western Sydney, Australia. METHODS The cluster-randomized controlled trial design has an intervention and a control group, comparing individuals receiving a structured intervention with those receiving usual care for specific common ailments. Participants will be community pharmacies, general practices and patients located in Western Sydney Primary Health Network region. 30 community pharmacies will be randomly assigned to either intervention or control group. Each will recruit 24 patients seeking, aged 18 years or older, presenting to the pharmacy in person with a symptom-based or product-based request for one of the following ailments (reflux, cough, common cold, headache (tension or migraine), primary dysmenorrhoea and low back pain). Intervention pharmacists will deliver protocolized care to patients using clinical treatment pathways with agreed referral points and collaborative systems boosting clinician-pharmacist communication. Patients recruited in control pharmacies will receive usual care. The co-primary outcomes are rates of appropriate use of nonprescription medicines and rates of appropriate medical referral. Secondary outcomes include self-reported symptom resolution, time to resolution of symptoms, health services resource utilization and EQ VAS. Differences in the primary outcomes between groups will be analyzed at the individual patient level accounting for correlation within clusters with generalized estimating equations. The economic impact of the model will be evaluated by cost analysis compared with usual care. RESULTS The study began in July 2018. At the time of submission, 30 community pharmacies have been recruited. Pharmacists from the 15 intervention pharmacies have been trained. 27 general practices have consented. Pharmacy patient recruitment began in August 2018 and is ongoing and monthly targets are being met. Recruitment will be completed March 31st, 2019. CONCLUSIONS This study may demonstrate the utilization and efficacy of a protocolized intervention to manage minor ailments in the community, and will assess the clinical, economic and humanistic impact of this intervention in Australian pharmacy practice. Pharmacists supporting patient self-care and self-medication may contribute greater efficiency of healthcare resources and integration of self-care in the health system. The proposed model and developed educational content may form the basis of a MAS national service, with protocolized care for common ailments using a robust framework for management and referral. CLINICALTRIAL Registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) and allocated the ACTRN: ACTRN12618000286246. Registered on 23 February 2018.

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Primary dementia care based on the individual needs of the patient: study protocol of the cluster randomized controlled trial, DemStepCare

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02114-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Isabella Bablok ◽

◽

Harald Binder ◽

Dominikus Stelzer ◽

Klaus Kaier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Dementia Care ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Care Model ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Individual Needs ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

The Individual

Abstract Background Most people with dementia (PwD) are cared for at home, with general practitioners (GPs) playing a key part in the treatment. However, primary dementia care suffers from a number of shortcomings: Often, diagnoses are made too late and therapies by GPs do not follow the guidelines. In cases of acute crises, PwD are too often admitted to hospital with adverse effects on the further course of the disease. The aim of this study is to implement and evaluate a new GP-based, complex dementia care model, DemStepCare. DemStepCare aims to ensure demand-oriented, stepped care for PwD and their caregivers. Methods/design In a cluster randomized controlled trial, the care of PwD receiving a complex intervention, where the GP is supported by a multi-professional team, is compared to (slightly expanded) usual care. GPs are clustered by GP practice, with 120 GP practices participating in total. GP practices are randomized to an intervention or a control group. 800 PwD are to be included per group. Recruitment takes place in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In addition, a second control group with at least 800 PwD will be formed using aggregated routine data from German health insurance companies. The intervention comprises the training of GPs, case management including repeated risk assessment of the patients’ care situation, the demand-oriented service of an outpatient clinic, an electronic case record, external medication analyses and a link to regional support services. The primary aims of the intervention are to positively influence the quality of life for PwD, to reduce the caregivers’ burden, and to reduce the days spent in hospital. Secondary endpoints address medication adequacy and GPs’ attitudes and sensitivity towards dementia, among others. Discussion The GP-based dementia care model DemStepCare is intended to combine a number of promising interventions to provide a complex, stepped intervention that follows the individual needs of PwD and their caregivers. Its effectiveness and feasibility will be assessed in a formative and a summative evaluation. Trial registration German Register of Clinical Trials (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien, DRKS), DRKS00023560. Registered 13 November 2020 - Retrospectively registered. HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00023560.

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Frequency of repositioning for preventing pressure ulcers in patients hospitalized in ICU: protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial

BMC Nursing ◽

10.1186/s12912-021-00616-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Olga L. Cortés ◽

Mauricio Herrera-Galindo ◽

Juan Carlos Villar ◽

Yudi A. Rojas ◽

María del Pilar Paipa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Critical Care ◽

Pressure Ulcers ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Link Type ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Despite being considered preventable, ulcers due to pressure affect between 30 and 50% of patients at high and very high risk and susceptibility, especially those hospitalized under critical care. Despite a lack of evidence over the efficacy in prevention against ulcers due to pressure, hourly repositioning in critical care as an intervention is used with more or less frequency to alleviate pressure on patients’ tissues. This brings up the objective of our study, which is to evaluate the efficacy in prevention of ulcers due to pressure acquired during hospitalization, specifically regarding two frequency levels of repositioning or manual posture switching in adults hospitalized in different intensive care units in different Colombian hospitals. Methods A nurse-applied cluster randomized controlled trial of parallel groups (two branches), in which 22 eligible ICUs (each consisting of 150 patients), will be randomized to a high-frequency level repositioning intervention or to a conventional care (control group). Patients will be followed until their exit from each cluster. The primary result of this study is originated by regarding pressure ulcers using clusters (number of first ulcers per patient, at the early stage of progression, first one acquired after admission for 1000 days). The secondary results include evaluating the risk index on the patients’ level (Hazard ratio, 95% IC) and a description of repositioning complications. Two interim analyses will be performed through the course of this study. A statistical difference between the groups < 0.05 in the main outcome, the progression of ulcers due to pressure (best or worst outcome in the experimental group), will determine whether the study should be put to a halt/determine the termination of the study. Conclusion This study is innovative in its use of clusters to advance knowledge of the impact of repositioning as a prevention strategy against the appearance of ulcers caused by pressure in critical care patients. The resulting recommendations of this study can be used for future clinical practice guidelines in prevention and safety for patients at risk. Trial registration PENFUP phase-2 was Registered in Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04604665) in October 2020.

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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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Effect of sanitation improvements on soil-transmitted helminth eggs in courtyard soil from rural Bangladesh: Evidence from a cluster-randomized controlled trial

10.1101/2020.09.29.318097 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Laura H. Kwong ◽

Debashis Sen ◽

Sharmin Islam ◽

Sunny Shahriar ◽

Jade Benjamin-Chung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Rural Bangladesh ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Improved Sanitation ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

And Control ◽

Animal Feces

AbstractImproved sanitation has been hypothesized to reduce soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections by reducing the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs/larvae in soil. We evaluated the effect of a randomized sanitation program (providing households with an improved dual-pit latrine, tools for child/animal feces management, and behavioral messaging) on reducing STH eggs in soil from household courtyards. We collected soil samples from 1405 households enrolled in the sanitation intervention (n=419) and control (n=914) groups of a cluster-randomized controlled trial (WASH Benefits) in rural Bangladesh approximately 2 years after the initiation of the interventions. We analyzed samples for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworm eggs by microscopy. We estimated prevalence ratios (PR) and relative egg count reductions (ECR) to compare the prevalence of any STH eggs and arithmetic and geometric mean egg counts for any STH per gram of soil between the sanitation and control arms.Among intervention households, latrines achieved high and sustained user uptake by adults while child open defecation remained common and most households did not dispose of child feces hygienically. In courtyard soil from control households, the prevalence of any STH eggs was 75.7% and the prevalence of any larvated STH eggs was 67.3%. A. lumbricoides was detected in 63.0% of control samples and T. trichiura in 55.7% of control samples; hookworm was not detected in any sample. The arithmetic mean egg count for any STH was 3.96 eggs/dry gram, while the geometric mean was 1.58 eggs/dry gram. There was no difference between the intervention and control groups in the prevalence of any STH eggs (PR=0.98 (95% CI: 0.91–1.05)) or mean egg counts (ECR=0.08 (95% CI: −0.10, 0.26) for geometric mean and 0.07 (95% CI: −0.22, 0.37) for arithmetic mean). Adjusted models gave similar results.A compound-level sanitation intervention that provided improved latrines and tools for disposal of child and animal feces did not have an impact on environmental reservoirs of STH eggs. In order to effectively reduce the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs in the environment, sustained, widespread use of sanitation strategies to isolate and hygienically dispose of child and animal feces may need to complement traditional strategies for containment of adult human feces.Author summaryImproved sanitation has been hypothesized to reduce soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections by reducing the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs/larvae in soil. We evaluated the effect of a randomized sanitation program (providing households with an improved dual-pit latrine, tools for child/animal feces management, and behavioral messaging) on reducing STH eggs in soil from household courtyards. We collected soil samples from 1405 households enrolled in the control and sanitation groups of a cluster-randomized controlled trial (WASH Benefits) in rural Bangladesh approximately 2 years after the initiation of the interventions. We analyzed samples for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm eggs by microscopy. We found no effect of the sanitation intervention on STH eggs in soil. In order to effectively reduce the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs in the environment, sustained, widespread use of sanitation strategies to isolate and hygienically dispose of child and animal feces may need to complement traditional strategies for containment of adult human feces.

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Effectiveness of an Educational Video in Maternity Wards to Prevent Self-Reported Shaking and Smothering during the First Week of Age: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Prevention Science ◽

10.1007/s11121-020-01145-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (8) ◽

pp. 1028-1036

Author(s):

Takeo Fujiwara ◽

Aya Isumi ◽

Makiko Sampei ◽

Yusuke Miyazaki ◽

Fujiko Yamada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Educational Video ◽

Health Checkup ◽

Infant Crying ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

And Control

Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether watching an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering within 1 week after delivery at maternity wards reduces self-reported shaking and smothering, at a 1-month health checkup. A cluster randomized controlled trial, stratified by area and hospital function, was employed in 45 obstetrics hospitals/clinics in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In the intervention group, mothers watched an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering an infant, within 1 week of age, during hospitalization at maternity wards, without blinding on group allocation. Control group received usual care. A total of 4722 (N = 2350 and 2372 for intervention and control group, respectively) mothers who delivered their babies (still birth and gestational age < 22 weeks were excluded) between October 1, 2014, and January 31 were recruited. Outcomes were self-reported shaking and smothering behaviors, knowledge on infant crying and shaking, and behaviors to cope with infant crying, assessed via a questionnaire at a 1-month health checkup. In all, 2718 (N = 1078 and 1640) responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 58.3%), and analytic sample size was 2655 (N = 1058 and 1597 for intervention and control group, respectively). Multilevel analysis was used to adjust for correlation within the cluster. Prevalence of shaking was significantly lower in the intervention group (0.19%) than in the control group (1.69%). Intention-to-treat analysis showed an 89% reduction in the reported prevalence of self-reported shaking (OR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02–0.53) due to watching the educational video. However, self-reported smothering behavior showed no significant reduction (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.27–1.60). No side effects were reported. Watching an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering within 1 week after delivery at maternity wards reduced self-reported shaking at 1 month of age. UMIN Clinical Trial Registry UMIN000015558.

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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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