scholarly journals Children Learn, Children Do! Results of the “Planning Health in School”, a Behavioural Change Programme

Author(s):  
Margarida Vieira ◽  
Graça S. Carvalho

The ‘Planning Health in School’ programme (PHS-pro) is a behavioural change intervention to assess and improve the eating habits of children, particularly the intake of fruit and vegetables, and to guide them towards healthy choices. The programme and its educational components are based on the Transtheoretical Model of stages of change to integrate nutritional literacy and build up problem-solving and decision-making skills. Children (n = 240, ages 10–12) of one large suburban school in Porto’s metropolitan area (Portugal) were evaluated throughout PHS-pro implementation during one school year in a repeated time–series design. Children’s outcome evaluations were conducted through seven 3-day food records for nine eating behaviour, documented after each learning module and through participatory activities which analysed attitudes, preferences and expectations. Changes were observed in children’s eating behaviour, supported by changes in motivation as perceived in their attitudes and expectations. Significant changes were found in a higher consumption of vegetable soup (p = 0.003), milk products (p = 0.024), and fruit (p = 0.008), while the consumption of high-energy dense food (p = 0.048) and soft drinks (p = 0.042) significantly decreased. No positive effects on fried food, water, vegetables and bread consumption were found. The PHS-pro intervention proved to be effective in developing healthy eating behaviour in young people.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Nakabayashi Langamer ◽  
Giselle Rha-isa Melo ◽  
Natacha Toral

Abstract Background Literature has shown a tendency of inadequate eating habits among youth, consequently, nutritional interventions are required. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) classifies individuals based on their readiness to change. This model is widely used for health education interventions and it has been associated with positive results. Purpose This review aimed to describe how the TTM has been applied to nutritional interventions for adolescents. Methods The Adolec, Google Scholar, LILACS, PsycINFO, PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science databases were searched. Only full original articles written in English, Spanish or Portuguese on randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs that applied the TTM to nutritional interventions targeting adolescents were included, with no restrictions on publication date. Results The initial search yielded 3779 results, of which 13 were included. Two more articles were added after a search update, totaling 15 articles. The included adolescents were mostly recruited from schools, and the duration of the studies ranged from one month to three years. The TTM was used alone or combined with other behavior-change theories. Nine interventions had positive results. The participants in six studies progressed through stages of change or improved decisional balance. Conclusion There are some limitations related to the studies included in this review, such as the differences in design and intervention exposure time, as well as using the TTM in association with other behavior-change theories. Nevertheless, the TTM seems to be a successful strategy for nutritional intervention in adolescents. Further studies comparing the TTM with other behavior-change theories should be conducted to better understand its effectiveness.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110358
Author(s):  
Phuntsho Choden ◽  
Kerry Armstrong ◽  
Marguerite C. Sendall

Intimate partner violence is highly prevalent in Asian region. It is largely committed by male against their female intimate partner. This is often associated with the region’s unique social and cultural norms which subordinate women throughout their lives. IPV is an ongoing concern in Bhutan. The country’s age-old traditions and customs are closely related to culture of silence among women experiencing IPV. This study examined women’s responses to intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bhutan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore sensitising concepts such as how and when women recognised IPV and how they responded to it. Fifteen women who had sought supportive services at the institution `RENEW’ (Respect, Educate, Nurture, Empower Women) as a result of IPV participated in the interview. The Trans-theoretical model of behaviour change (TTM) was used as a theoretical framework to understand women’s cognitive, affective and behavioural change processes. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to identify the patterns of women’s responses. From the analysis, women’s experiences of IPV and their responses were located within the four stages of change, including contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Women used nine traditional processes of change among which consciousness raising and helping relationships were critical and appeared across all four stages of change. This study provides important insights of Bhutanese women’s cognitive and behavioural responses to IPV. The appearance of consciousness raising and helping relationships across all the stages of change represents a potential opportunity for intervention to initiate and promote changes in women’s response to IPV in the early stages.


2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-108
Author(s):  
A.F. Jităreanu ◽  
Elena Leonte ◽  
A. Chiran ◽  
Benedicta Drobotă

Abstract Advertising helps to establish a set of assumptions that the consumer will bring to all other aspects of their engagement with a given brand. Advertising provides tangible evidence of the financial credibility and competitive presence of an organization. Persuasion is becoming more important in advertising. In marketing, persuasive advertising acts to establish wants/motivations and beliefs/attitudes by helping to formulate a conception of the brand as being one which people like those in the target audience would or should prefer. Considering the changes in lifestyle and eating habits of a significant part of the population in urban areas in Romania, the paper aims to analyse how brands manage to differentiate themselves from competitors, to reposition themselves on the market and influence consumers, meeting their increasingly varied needs. Food brands on the Romanian market are trying, lately, to identify new methods of differentiation and new benefits for their buyers. Given that more and more consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about what they eat and the products’ health effects, brands struggle to highlight the fact that their products offer real benefits for the body. The advertisements have become more diversified and underline the positive effects, from the health and well - being point of view, that those foods offer (no additives and preservatives, use of natural ingredients, various vitamins and minerals or the fact that they are dietary). Advertising messages’ diversification is obvious on the Romanian market, in the context of an increasing concern of the population for the growing level of information of some major consumer segments.


Author(s):  
Hubert Dobrowolski ◽  
Dariusz Włodarek

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a number of changes in social life around the world. In response to the growing number of infections, some countries have introduced restrictions that may have resulted in the change of the lifestyle. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the lockdown on body weight, physical activity and some eating habits of the society. The survey involving 183 people was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire. The mean age of the study participants was 33 ± 11 and mean height 169 ± 8 cm. An average increase in body weight was observed in 49.18% by 0.63 ± 3.7 kg which was the result of a decrease in physical activity and an increase in food consumption. We also observed a decrease in PAL from 1.64 ± 0.15 to 1.58 ± 0.13 and changes in the amount of food and individual groups of products consumption, including alcohol. Among the study participants who did not lose body mass, there was an average weight gain of 2.25 ± 2.5 kg. In conclusion, an increase of weight was shown in about half of the respondents in the study group which was associated with a decrease in physical activity and an increase in the consumption of total food and high energy density products.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Renata da R. M. Rodrigues ◽  
Bruna K. Hassan ◽  
Michele R. Sgambato ◽  
Bárbara da S. N. Souza ◽  
Diana B. Cunha ◽  
...  

Abstract School-based studies, despite the large number of studies conducted, have reported inconclusive results on obesity prevention. The sample size is a major constraint in such studies by requiring large samples. This pooled analysis overcomes this problem by analysing 5926 students (mean age 11·5 years) from five randomised school-based interventions. These studies focused on encouraging students to change their drinking and eating habits, and physical activities over the one school year, with monthly 1-h sessions in the classroom; culinary class aimed at developing cooking skills to increase healthy eating and attempts to family engagement. Pooled intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models accounted for school clusters. Control and intervention groups were balanced at baseline. The overall result was a non-significant change in BMI after one school year of positive changes in behaviours associated with obesity. Estimated mean BMI changed from 19·02 to 19·22 kg/m2 in the control group and from 19·08 to 19·32 kg/m2 in the intervention group (P value of change over time = 0·09). Subgroup analyses among those overweight or with obesity at baseline also did not show differences between intervention and control groups. The percentage of fat measured by bioimpedance indicated a small reduction in the control compared with intervention (P = 0·05). This large pooled analysis showed no effect on obesity measures, although promising results were observed about modifying behaviours associated with obesity.


1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline C. Horwath

AbstractThis review provides a rigorous investigation of the question of whether the transtheoretical model (TTM) (or stages of change model) is applicable to eating behaviour change. The TTM is currently the most popular of a number of stage theories being used to examine health behaviour change. Stage theories specify an ordered set of ‘stages of readiness to change’ into which people can be classified and identify the factors that can facilitate movement from one stage to the next. If eating behaviour change follows a stage process, then nutritionists could identify the predominant stage or stages in a population and focus resources on those issues most likely to move people to the next stage (e.g. from no intention of changing, to thinking about changing). In addressing this question, the review draws on the defining characteristics of stage theories as clarified by Weinstein et al. (1998), provides an in-depth coverage of methodological considerations, and a detailed summary table of dietary studies applying the TTM. Specific recommendations are made for improving the accuracy of dietary stage classifications. Among the key conclusions are: (1) dietary studies using the TTM have been hampered by a focus on nutritional outcomes such as dietary fat reduction, rather than clearly understood food behaviours (e.g. five servings of fruit and vegetables per day); (2) accurate stage classification systems are possible for food-based goals, but major misclassification problems occur with nutrient-based goals; (3) observation of an association between stage and dietary intake is not sufficient to demonstrate the validity of the model for dietary behaviour; (4) there is a need for valid questionnaires to measure all aspects of the TTM, and more research on the whole model, particularly the ‘processes of change’, rather than on single constructs such as ‘stage’ (5) cross-sectional studies generally support the predicted patterns of between-stage differences in decisional balance, self-efficacy, and processes of change; (6) studies which test the key hypothesis that different factors are important in distinguishing different stages are rare, as are prospective studies and stage-matched interventions. Only such studies can conclusively determine whether the TTM is applicable to eating behaviour. Since the ultimate test of the TTM will be the effectiveness of stage-matched dietary interventions, the review ends by exploring the requirements for such studies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 001112872110364
Author(s):  
Natalia Redondo ◽  
Marina J. Muñoz-Rivas ◽  
Arthur L. Cantos ◽  
Jose Luis Graña

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change predicts that patients go through different stages of change prior to changing their problematic behavior. This study aims to evaluate the utility and validity of this model in a sample of 549 court-ordered partner violent men. Three types of perpetrators with respect to their readiness to change were revealed. Those in more advantage stage of change use more processes to change their problem and present with higher levels of intimate partner violence (IPV). Low readiness to change levels and treatment drop-out predict short-term criminal justice recidivism, while treatment drop-out predicts medium and long-term recidivism. Results highlight the applicability of the TTM in IPV and its usefulness in designing behavioral interventions with this population.


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