Abstract
We tested the feasibility of a school-based, liking-based behavioral screener (Pediatric Adapted Liking Survey (PALS)) and message program to motivate healthy diet and activity behaviors. Students, recruited from middle- (n = 195) or low-income (n = 310) schools, online-reported: likes/dislikes of foods/beverages and physical/sedentary activities, scored into healthy behavior indexes (HBI); perceived food insecurity; and sleep indicators. Students received tailored motivating or reinforcing messages (aligned with behavior change theories) and indicated their willingness to improve target behaviors as well as program feasibility (acceptability; usefulness). Although HBIs averaged lower in the lower versus middle-income school, frequencies of food insecurity were similar (39–44% of students). Students in both schools reported sleep concerns (middle-income school—43% reported insufficient hours of sleep/night; low-income school—55% reported excessive daytime sleepiness). Students across both schools confirmed the PALS acceptability (>85% agreement to answering questions quickly and completion without help) and usefulness (≥73% agreed PALS got them thinking about their behaviors) as well as the tailored message acceptability (≥73% reported the messages as helpful; learning new information; wanting to receive more messages) and usefulness (73% reported “liking” to try one behavioral improvement). Neither message type nor response varied significantly by food insecurity or sleep measures. Thus, this program feasibly delivered students acceptable and useful messages to motivate healthier behaviors and identified areas for school-wide health promotion.
Highlights
Adults [1] and children [2] report that “taste” is a primary driver of food choice, it is the liking of the taste of food that drives what is chosen and consumed
We have found that responses to the Pediatric Adapted Liking Survey (PALS), reported by parents on their preschoolers’ liking for foods and beverages, can be formed into an index of diet quality that correlates with skin carotenoid status [5]
We found that children with greater daytime sleepiness had significantly lower healthy behavior index (HBI), which is consistent with findings across a population-based study of Greek children and adolescents [25] as well as a school-based study of adolescents in Brazil [55]
Summary
Adults [1] and children [2] report that “taste” is a primary driver of food choice, it is the liking of the taste of food that drives what is chosen and consumed. We have found that responses to the Pediatric Adapted Liking Survey (PALS), reported by parents on their preschoolers’ liking for foods and beverages, can be formed into an index of diet quality that correlates with skin carotenoid status [5]. Older children can complete the PALS by themselves to produce reliable food groups [6,7] and, when combined with physical activities and screen time, formed a valid and reliable healthy behavior index [8]. The liking survey allows feasible phenotyping of the child’s diet and physical activity behaviors. It is of interest here if reported liking in children could be leveraged for promoting healthier behaviors at the individual and community levels for the prevention of chronic diseases
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