Promotion Of Healthy Eating Research Articles

Sensitizing mothers of children with microcephaly in promoting the health of their children.

To report the educational experiences of mothers or caregivers of children with microcephaly, as developed by an academic team with the theme of promoting these children's health. This is an experience report by undergraduate nursing students and Health and Environment Post-Graduation students and professors of Tiradentes University on educational interventions carried out in three reference units for the care of children with microcephaly in the state of Sergipe. The study sample was taken by convenience. A total of 70 mothers or primary caregivers of children with a confirmed diagnosis of microcephaly during the months of September to December participated in the study. The thematic-theoretical axes selected to describe the activities were promotion of healthy eating, importance of the mother and child bond, and early stimulation of children with microcephaly. The experience reported demonstrates the importance of educational strategies in promoting the health of children with microcephaly, providing additional training to mothers/caregivers to provide holistic and humanized care to these children.

Hygienic features of the diet of foreign medical students considering their national cultures

During studying, foreign students undergo many stages of adaptation to new habitats, including adaptations to climatic, social and nutritional features in Ukraine. Foreign students experience difficulties in shaping their diet, following national traditions. They do not always have the right to pick analogues of the usual food products, to cook, and are increasingly fed in fast food. The aim of the study is to offer corrective measures on the diet of foreign medical students, taking into account the characteristics of national cultures, which depend on the geographical location of the country of residence of students. To achieve the goal, the following objectives were set: to assess the peculiarities of the diet of students who came from Africa and South Asia from gender perspective; to identify factors that prevent foreign medical students from following the principles of rational nutrition; to develop proposals for correction of eating behavior of students. Methods of research - sociological (questioning and interviewing), analytical, medical-statistical, nonparametric methods of mathematical statistics. The paper presents data on the quantitative and qualitative composition of food products that respondents used during the day and the diet of foreign medical students who came to study from the countries of Africa and South Asia. It has been established that nutrition of students is not balanced in structure, mode, protein, fat, carbohydrate ratio in both groups. The author shows the main barriers that, according to students, impede them to eat rationally. Obtaining data allowed to make recommendations for the correction of eating behavior by foreign students, which consists in conducting information companies among foreign students for the promotion of healthy eating, taking into account the data of a permanent residence; informing the students about WHO recommendations for healthy eating; conducting constant monitoring of eating behavior of students using the proposed questionnaire.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING GUIDELINE AND INTERACTIVE NUTRITION EDUCATION MODULE FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Healthy eating and daily active lifestyle is important for good health and development of school children, who are vulnerable to malnutrition which can disrupt their learning process and school achievement. On the other hand, the primary school teachers and parents can play an important role in the education and promotion of healthy eating and active lifestyle for the children. The aim of this community service program was to develop a teaching guideline and interactive nutrition education (TG-INE) module for primary school teachers. This activity was held on January – August 2018 in Bogor Agricultural University. The steps of this activity included: 1). Establishment of technical working group (TWG); 2). Review the existing nutrition education module for primary school students; and 3). Development of teaching guideline and interactive nutrition education module for teacher. The component in the TWG which were formed consists of school principals, nutrition professional society (Food and Nutrition Society of Indonesia), university staffs (Bogor Agricultural University and SAHID University Jakarta), and local government (Bogor Education Office). The TWG developed nine topics for TG-INE module, namely balance diet and my plate; active and healthy life; cereals, fruit and vegetable; protein food; limit sugar salt and fat; choosing safe and nutritious food; food label; and summary. The TG-INE module was designed colourfully and interestingly. Prior to the final version TG-INE module, it was assessed to be used by selected school teachers. In conclusion, the TG-INE module could be used by primary school teachers to educate their students on healthy eating and active lifestyle.

An Investigation of the Prevalence and the Causes of Overweightness and Obesity Among Karkheh Dam Employees

Background: Obesity is one of the most important acquired and preventable risk factors for serious complications, such as fatty liver. Currently, due to sedentary nature of many jobs, shift working and improper diet, the risk of developing obesity among employees in occupational settings is a great concern. Periodic medical examination of employees is a major resource for taking preventive measures against the prevalence of work-related disorders. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the status of obesity and its predisposing occupational factors among employees of Karkheh dam and power plant and providing solutions to reduce the complications of obesity, such as blood lipids and fatty liver. Methods: In this study, demographic and anthropometric data along with the results from medical examination were extracted from the employees' health records. Weight and height measurements were obtained using a weighbridge scale for determining body mass index (BMI). A frequency food questionnaire (FFQ) was used to measure the employees’ dietary intake. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests were also employed to investigate the relationship between the indices. Results: The results showed that 71.8% of employees were overweight and obese. Furthermore, 25.60% were shift workers, and 34.60% had performed jobs involving static work. According to the LDL, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, 37.2%, 51.3%, and 39.8% of employees were respectively at risk of developing serious illnesses. Based on the Chi-square test, there was a significant correlation between the BMI and the employees’ job (static or dynamic) (P value 0.05). There was also a notable relationship between employees’ BMI and consumption of fast food, soft drinks, fat and oil, sugar, and pastries and cakes (P value > 0.05). Conclusions: It is evident that implementation of integrated programs, such as educational, motivational, and physical strategies along with promotion of healthy eating, will prevent BMI increase and incidence of fatty liver among employees.

Training Staff of Afterschool Programs on Healthy Eating and Physical Activity: Opportunity to Reduce Childhood Obesity

Escalating obesity rates among children across the nation has prompted interest in investigating the role of afterschool programs in the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity among participating children. This approach facilitates intervention programs that will be supported in daily routines of staff. Children need positive role models; the work could be a challenging process and will require staff willingness and assistance.

A new interministerial strategy for the promotion of healthy eating in Portugal: implementation and initial results

ObjectiveTo describe the implementation, main intervention areas and initial results of the Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of Healthy Eating (EIPAS) in Portugal.MethodsEIPAS was published as a Law, in December of 2017, as a result of a collaboration between several ministries, including the Finance, Internal Affairs, Education, Health, Economy, Agriculture, and Sea Ministries, aiming at improving the dietary habits of the Portuguese population. The working group, led by the Ministry of Health, developed this strategy for over a year. The framework produced was based on WHO and European Commission recommendations as well as on relevant data from the last Portuguese dietary intake survey (2015/2016). EIPAS also reflects the results of a public hearing, including the food industry, among others, and the experience gathered, since 2012, through the National Programme for the Promotion of Healthy Eating. It considers the ‘health in all policies’ challenge set by WHO and has four different strategic areas, namely (1) creation of healthier food environments, (2) improvement of the quality and accessibility of healthy food choices for consumers, (3) promotion and development of literacy, in order to encourage healthy food choices, and (4) promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship. In order to achieve these goals, a set of 51 actions was established and assigned to the seven ministries involved.ResultsUnder the scope of this strategy, Portugal has already implemented several actions, including (1) definition of standards for food availability at all public healthcare institutions; (2) implementation of a sugar tax on sweetened beverages; (3) implementation of a voluntary agreement with the food industry sector for food reformulation (work in progress); (4) design of a proposal for an interpretative model of front-of-pack food labelling; (5) improvement of the nutritional quality of food aid programmes for low-income groups; and (6) regulation of marketing of unhealthy foods to children.ConclusionsFor the first time, Portugal has a nutrition policy based on the WHO concept of ‘health in all policies’ and on the national data on food intake. The implementing process of all 51 actions and the inherent complexities and difficulties found so far have made this process be an authentic political and social laboratory that deserves to be followed.

Interventions to Promote Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Smoking in Low-Income Groups: a Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Behavior Change Techniques and Delivery/Context

PurposeHealthy eating, physical activity and smoking interventions for low-income groups may have small, positive effects. Identifying effective intervention components could guide intervention development. This study investigated which content and delivery components of interventions were associated with increased healthy behavior in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for low-income adults.MethodData from a review showing intervention effects in 35 RCTs containing 45 interventions with 17,000 participants were analysed to assess associations with behavior change techniques (BCTs) and delivery/context components from the template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist. The associations of 46 BCTs and 14 delivery/context components with behavior change (measures of healthy eating, physical activity and smoking cessation) were examined using random effects subgroup meta-analyses. Synergistic effects of components were examined using classification and regression trees (meta-CART) analyses based on both fixed and random effects assumptions.ResultsFor healthy eating, self-monitoring, delivery through personal contact, and targeting multiple behaviors were associated with increased effectiveness. Providing feedback, information about emotional consequences, or using prompts and cues were associated with reduced effectiveness. In synergistic analyses, interventions were most effective without feedback, or with self-monitoring excluding feedback. More effective physical activity interventions included behavioral practice/rehearsal or instruction, focussed solely on physical activity or took place in home/community settings. Information about antecedents was associated with reduced effectiveness. In synergistic analyses, interventions were most effective in home/community settings with instruction. No associations were identified for smoking.ConclusionThis study identified BCTs and delivery/context components, individually and synergistically, linked to increased and reduced effectiveness of healthy eating and physical activity interventions. The identified components should be subject to further experimental study to help inform the development effective behavior change interventions for low-income groups to reduce health inequalities.

The mFIT (Motivating Families with Interactive Technology) Study: a Randomized Pilot to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Through Mobile Technology

Scalable and convenient programs for family obesity prevention have proven difficult to design/implement. Mobile technology could be helpful tools to engage busy families. The Motivating Families with Interactive Technology (mFIT) study tested the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of two remotely delivered family-based programs targeting physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE). Parent–child dyads were randomized to one of two 12-week mobile interventions delivered via weekly email newsletters; programs differed in focus of content (individual vs. family) and method of tracking (paper vs. mobile website). At baseline and 12 weeks, height and weight were objectively measured and participants completed questionnaires. Multivariable models were used to examine changes from baseline to 12 weeks by parent/child, group, and time; Cohen’s d was used to calculate effect sizes. Of the 33 randomized dyads (parents 43 ± 5.8 years, 87.9% female, 69.7% white, BMI 31.1 ± 8.3 kg/m2; children 11 ± 0.9 years, 63.6% female, 66.7% white, BMI 77.6 ± 27.8 percentile), 31 (94.0%) had follow-up data. Baseline means for all measures of parent–child communication and engagement were high. There were no group by time differences for PA or HE. However, combining groups and parents/children, there was a significant increase in average daily steps (1397 steps, p = 0.04, d = 0.4) and servings of fruit (0.3 servings, p = 0.02, d = 0.2), a marginally significant decrease in children’s daily servings of sugar-sweetened beverages (− 0.1 servings, p = 0.05, d = −0.1), and good adherence to self-monitoring protocols. The mFIT program showed excellent feasibility and acceptability as a low-cost, remotely delivered family intervention for PA and HE promotion.

Behaviors to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity: Training Staff for After School Programs

Escalating obesity rates among children across the nation has prompted interest in investigating the role of after school programs in the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity among participating children. This approach facilitates intervention programs that can be rooted in daily routines by frontline staff. Children need positive role models, the work could be a challenging process and will require motivating staff.

Health Promotion Futures.

Health Promotion Futures.

Adolescents' Responses to a School-Based Prevention Program Promoting Healthy Eating at School.

To improve the effectiveness of school-based programs that aim to promote adolescents' healthy food choices, it is essential to understand the views and behaviors of the target group. This study aimed to get a better understanding of adolescents' food and health perceptions and their willingness to be involved in a specific school-based prevention program, i.e., the Dutch "Healthy School Canteen Program." This study used a mixed-methods research design. First, seven semi-structured focus groups were conducted using a selective sample of 42 Dutch adolescents (25 girls, 17 boys, aged 13-16 years). Second, an online survey among 133 adolescent respondents (72 girls, 61 boys, aged 12-19 years) using snowball sampling was conducted. Content analysis was performed to make inferences about the focus group discussions, whereas statistical analyses were conducted to analyze the survey data. Findings from the group discussions indicated that healthy eating was only an issue of importance when adolescents perceived negative physical changes (e.g., with regard to looks or physical performance). Adolescents also indicated that they clearly wanted to make their own food and beverage choices at school. The quantitative data indicated that taste, price, and variety were seen as the most important aspects of a healthy food assortment (mean scores 8.1, 7.8, and 7.7 on a 10-point scale, respectively). In general, a majority of the adolescents (64%) expressed that students should be involved in the organization of a healthy food environment in schools. At the same time, however, adolescents were not willing to participate themselves. This was mostly because they were skeptical about their ideas being heard and put into action by their schools. School-based prevention programs, such as the Healthy School Program, should take into account that adolescents have a low risk perception of unhealthy eating and are seeking food choice autonomy. In addition, schools should not lose sight of product price, taste, and variety to make their food assortment attractive to students. If schools aim to involve adolescents in prevention programs that promote healthy eating, it is essential that they have a formal student involvement process that ensures that adolescents' suggestions are valued.

Nursing diagnoses associated with the national policy for health promotion.

To identify the relationships between nursing diagnoses proposed by NANDA-I taxonomy II and the priority themes (PT) of the National Policy for Health Promotion (PNPS in Portuguse). An integrative literature review was carried out in the Scopus, Cinahl and SciELO databases, using the descriptors: health promotion, food habits, traffic accidents, drugs abuse, environment and public health. The search considered scientific articles published between 2000 and 2016. Twelve articles were selected to identify and explore nursing actions related to PT. It was identified that although the said taxonomy offers a Domain called Health promotion, there is a need to relate the diagnoses of other domains to include the health actions described in the aforementioned Policy. It was observed that there is an attention and concern of the nursing professionals to address topics such as the training of managers and the promotion of healthy eating. In relation to the priority themes promotion of safe mobility and sustainable development, no nursing diagnoses were identified due to the scarcity of diagnoses related to them in the mentioned taxonomy. Although the NANDA-I taxonomy presents a specific domain on health promotion, these are not sufficient to meet the needs of the priority themes proposed by PNPS.

Women's social eating environment and its associations with dietary behavior and weight management

As an unhealthy social eating environment is considered a risk factor for obesity, this study aimed to examine women's regular eating networks and the extent to which diet-related variables were associated with those of their regular eating companions. In Study Part I (N = 579), an egocentric network approach was used to investigate women's perceptions of their eating networks. In Study Part II (N = 262), the participants' most important eating companions responded to a similar survey, and the corresponding answers were matched. The results showed that women shared their meals most frequently with spouses and other family members. Women who dined more often with healthy eaters reported on average a higher diet quality and a lower body mass index (BMI), which were also significant after controlling for individual factors. Study Part II expanded these results by showing that different diet-related factors such as diet quality, eating styles and BMI were correlated between women and their most important eating companions (r = 0.16–0.30, p < 0.05). Moreover, an actor–partner interdependence model revealed that a higher diet quality of the eating companions was associated with a lower BMI in women, controlled for their own eating behavior (b = −0.45, p < 0.05). This study showed similarities and interdependence between women's dietary behavior and body weight and those of their regular eating companions. This might indicate that regular eating networks have a shared understanding of what constitutes a normal diet, which might be an important factor to consider in the promotion of healthy eating.

Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Health Behaviors Between Black and Non-Black Students Participating in a School-Based Health Promotion Program.

To compare cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors of black and non-black children participating in Project Healthy Schools (PHS), a school-based wellness program. Participants were surveyed and participated in physiological screenings pre- and post-PHS intervention. Middle schools in 4 Michigan communities of varying socioeconomic status. A total of 3813 sixth-grade students comprised the survey sample, and 2297 sixth-grade students comprised the screening sample. Project Healthy Schools is a school-based intervention designed to reduce the risk of obesity and CVD in children through the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity. Physical examination, blood test, and self-reported survey data on dietary habits, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors were collected pre- and post-PHS. Paired and independent t tests were used for physiologic variables. Wilcoxon sign-rank and rank-sum tests were used for survey variables. At baseline, blacks had a higher percentage of overweight/obese students (43% vs 34%; P < .0001) and demonstrated poorer health habits than non-blacks; however, non-blacks had poorer lipid profiles. At follow-up (post-PHS intervention), both groups demonstrated significant improvements in physiological measures and health behaviors. Despite disparities between the groups at both baseline and follow-up, changes seen post-PHS intervention were beneficial in both groups. These results suggest that early intervention for risk factor modification is possible and may be of great importance in the prevention of CVD, particularly in high-risk groups.

Nutrition Education Works: Increasing Nutrition Literacy and Promoting Healthy Eating in Israeli Adolescents

Currently, nutrition is not taught in most Israeli schools. However, 9th-grade Biology teachers can include 4 hours of nutrition topics. This study evaluated changes in nutrition literacy and eating behaviors following the addition of 20 hours of nutrition education to the current science curriculum. Junior high school students (n=181), aged 14-15 years, 50% males, participated in a controlled prospective study at intervention schools (n=131) or a control school (n=50). Students completed semi-structured questionnaires before and after the program and at 2 month follow-up. Activities were carried out in a classroom setting and were based on social cognitive theory, emphasizing self-efficacy. Frontal lectures, class discussions, games and experiential activities including food preparation were used to present a wide range of nutritional topics. Data was analyzed using student’s t-test (control vs experimental) and paired t-tests for pre-post evaluation in the intervention group. Baseline data was similar for control and intervention groups. Students participating in the expanded program improved their ability to correctly answer nutrition knowledge questions from 70% to 86% (P≤0.05). Significantly greater consumption of fruits and vegetables (∼3 servings daily to ∼5 servings), increased use of food labels and overall better food choices were also reported. Almost all students (91%) reported making at least one dietary change. No significant changes were observed in controls. This study supports the efficacy of school-based nutritional programs for improving literacy and promoting healthy eating in adolescents. It is recommended that the Israel Ministry of Education expand nutrition education in this age group.

Using a Humanoid Robot Along With a Registered Dietitian in an After‐School Program to Promote Healthy Eating Habits and Physical Activity in School‐aged Children

Using a Humanoid Robot Along With a Registered Dietitian in an After‐School Program to Promote Healthy Eating Habits and Physical Activity in School‐aged Children

The "Smart Dining Table": Automatic Behavioral Tracking of a Meal with a Multi-Touch-Computer.

Studying how humans eat in the context of a meal is important to understanding basic mechanisms of food intake regulation and can help develop new interventions for the promotion of healthy eating and prevention of obesity and eating disorders. While there are a number of methodologies available for behavioral evaluation of a meal, there is a need for new tools that can simplify data collection through automatic and online analysis. Also, there are currently no methods that leverage technology to add a dimension of interactivity to the meal table. In this study, we examined the feasibility of a new technology for automatic detection and classification of bites during a laboratory meal. We used a SUR40 multi-touch tabletop computer, powered by an infrared camera behind the screen. Tags were attached to three plates, allowing their positions to be tracked, and the saturation (a measure of the infrared intensity) in the surrounding region was measured. A Kinect camera was used to record the meals for manual verification and provide gesture detection for when the bites were taken. Bite detections triggered classification of the source plate by the SUR40 based on saturation flux in the preceding time window. Five healthy subjects (aged 20–40 years, one female) were tested, providing a total sample of 320 bites. Sensitivity, defined as the number of correctly detected bites out of the number of actual bites, was 67.5%. Classification accuracy, defined as the number of correctly classified bites out of those detected, was 82.4%. Due to the poor sensitivity, a second experiment was designed using a single plate and a Myo armband containing a nine-axis accelerometer as an alternative method for bite detection. The same subjects were tested (sample: 195 bites). Using a simple threshold on the pitch reading of the magnetometer, the Myo data achieved 86.1% sensitivity vs. 60.5% with the Kinect. Further, the precision of positive predictive value was 72.1% for the Myo vs. 42.8% for the Kinect. We conclude that the SUR40 + Myo combination is feasible for automatic detection and classification of bites with adequate accuracy for a range of applications.

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake among male university students in an ad libitum buffet setting: A choice architectural nudge intervention

Insufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables (F&V) is associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases in the population. Several studies show a potential effect of promoting healthy eating by reorganizing the physical environment. However the evidence of the effect is ambiguous due to the complexity of determinants for food choices and more research is therefore needed. This study assessed the of a choice architectural intervention aimed at reducing energy density of meals consumed by male university students, by proportionally increasing their vegetable consumption.A single one-day lunch meal study was conducted in a FoodScape Laboratory where an Intelligent Buffet was used to register the exact weight of each meal component self-served by each participant. A convenience sample of 65 men was divided to a control group (n=32) and an intervention group (n=33). The choice architecture in the intervention group consisted of altering the serving sequence and serving the F&V components in eight separate bowls. The self-served quantity (g) of meal components was measured using state-of-the-art equipment. Additionally a two-part questionnaire was used to obtain individual background information.The quantity (g) of self-served F&V was significantly higher in the intervention group (+63.3g, p=.005). The total energy (kJ) was significantly lower in the intervention group (−1326.3kJ, p=.010), while there was no significant difference in the total amount (g) of self-served food between the two groups (−50.4g p=.326). This emphasizes that the relative proportion of F&V/non-F&V changes as a result of the intervention.This study found convincing evidence for combining order of placement in a buffet and separating the fruits and vegetables, as a means to increase the quantity of self-served fruit and vegetables and decrease consumption of other meal components among male university students. Such simple choice architecture interventions could be used as a supplement to already existing strategies in the promotion of healthy eating.

Developing and Implementing "Waupaca Eating Smart": A Restaurant and Supermarket Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating Through Changes in the Food Environment.

Restaurants and food stores are suitable settings for healthy eating interventions. A community-academic partnership developed and implemented "Waupaca Eating Smart" (WES), a healthy eating program in restaurants and supermarkets of a rural, Midwest community. Previous interventions targeted either restaurants or small food stores nearly all in urban areas. Intervention design and implementation is rarely documented, making replication difficult for interested researchers and communities. In this article, we report the activities we undertook to develop and implement WES. Working with a local nutrition and activity coalition, we used evidence-based strategies guided by the social ecological model and social marketing principles to inform the content of WES. Formative assessment included a review of the literature, statewide key informant interviews and focus groups with restaurant and food store operators and patrons, a local community survey, and interviews with prospective WES businesses. WES was implemented in seven restaurants and two supermarkets and evaluated for feasibility and acceptance using surveys and direct observation of WES implementation. Prior to this intervention, only one of seven restaurants had three or more meals that met WES nutrition criteria. By the end of the program, 38 meals were labeled and promoted to restaurant customers, and the team had staffed four side salad taste tests for supermarket customers. Four and 10 months after intervention launch, the majority of the program's strategies were observed in participating outlets, suggesting that these program's strategies are feasible and can be sustained. Operators reported strong satisfaction overall. A combined restaurant- and supermarket-based healthy eating intervention is feasible and positively valued in rural communities. Further research is needed to better understand how to foster sustainability of these interventions and their impact on customer food choices.

Perception of adolescents on healthy eating.

The objective in this article is to analyze how adolescents at a school in the interior of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, perceive healthy eating. A descriptive and exploratory study was undertaken, based on the qualitative method. Forty adolescents between 10 and 14 years of age were investigated, using a semistructured interview. The interviews were analyzed using the software Alceste, which evidenced two thematic axes: Eating practices, divided in two classes (routine eating diary and Eating at weekends); and Education practices, consisting of four classes (Factors interfering in and facilitating the maintenance of healthy eating, Role of the school in the education process for healthy eating, Knowledge on healthy eating, The family and the promotion of healthy eating). Although the interviewed adolescents are familiar with healthy eating, they do not always put it in practice, due to the multiple factors that interfere in their preferred diet. The school and the family play a fundamental role in encouraging healthy eating. The school needs to accomplish eating education practices that encourage the consumption of locally produced foods.