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

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To 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.

DESIGN:
Clustered randomised controlled trial.

SETTING:
Fifteen West-Flemish (Belgian) middle schools.

SUBJECTS:
A 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.

RESULTS:
In 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).

CONCLUSIONS:
Combining 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.

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Author information

Author/s: Haerens, Leen (L); De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse (I); Maes, Lea (L); Vereecken, Carine (C); Brug, Johannes (J); Deforche, Benedicte (B);

Affiliation: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Leen.Haerens(-atsign-)UGent.be

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Public health nutrition (Public Health Nutr), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-May; vol 10 (issue 5) : pp 443-9

Dates: Created 2007/04/06; Completed 2007/06/14; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 17411463, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Carbonated Beverages - statistics & numerical data
Child
Child Nutrition Sciences - education
Cluster Analysis
Dietary Fats - administration & dosage
Drinking
Female

Female
Fruit
Health Promotion - methods
Humans
Male
Parents - education; psychology
Schools
Sex Factors
Water

Associated Chemicals: Dietary Fats (0) ; Water (7732-18-5)

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