Interventions to Increase Dairy Consumption in Adolescents

Abstract

Objective. Effective interventions are needed to address the reported inadequacies of dairy product and calcium (Ca) intakes among adolescents. The present review investigated interventions aimed at increasing adolescent dairy and/or Ca intakes and determined the characteristics associated with successful interventions. Design. A PRISMA systematic review search identified 17 interventions, described in 16 publications, between 1993 and 2015 (February). Studies were evaluated for population, delivery, dietary targets and outcomes measures, measure of intervention intensity, use of behavior change techniques, intervention effectiveness, and effect size and quality. Setting. Interventions targeting an increase in dairy food or Ca intake, either exclusively or in combination with other dietary modifications. Subjects. Adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years. Results. Twelve of the 17 interventions were found to be effective. Effective interventions tended to be higher in overall intensity (mean intensity: negative interventions 12.2, positive interventions 14.25), with the most notable difference in the duration category, such that effective interventions tended to be longer in duration. The number of behavior change techniques applied did not differentiate effective and ineffective interventions, but prompting the review of behavioral goals and including interviews or brief counseling appeared to be important for effective interventions. Effective interventions tended to have higher methodological quality, while the majority of ineffective interventions were qualitatively assessed as weak. Conclusions. The current review has identified characteristics of effective interventions that offer insight into promising strategies likely to increase dairy consumption and Ca intakes in countries where adolescent intake is insufficient. These findings may have important implications for future intervention design.

Systematic Review of School‐Based Interventions to Modify Dietary Behavior: Does Intervention Intensity Impact Effectiveness?

“…Effectiveness was determined for 99 of the interventions, of which ∼82% were found to be effective at immediate follow‐up (Table ). This high proportion of effective studies supports results found from a similar systematic review of dietary interventions aimed to increase dairy and calcium intake among younger children (5‐12 years), as well as a review of dietary interventions to increase dairy and calcium intake among adolescents (12‐18 years) . A previous meta‐analysis which reviewed school‐based interventions also showed high efficacy in reducing obesity rates .…”

“…Studies that achieved a higher intensity rating scored consistently well across all 4 measures. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that higher intensity interventions would be more effective than interventions with lower intensity; however, the data did not support this idea. As illustrated in Table , more than 80% of interventions irrespective of intensity were effective at immediate follow‐up, demonstrating a significant positive change in dietary behavior post‐intervention.…”

Barriers and Facilitators to Intake of Dairy Products in Adolescent Males and Females With Different Levels of Habitual Intake

“…49 The findings of the present study should contribute to the development of future interventions by highlighting several potential targets to address when aiming to change dairy intake in adolescents and the potential difficulties in addressing these factors.…”

A Systematic Review of Tools Measuring Nutrition Knowledge of Pre‐Adolescents and Adolescents in a School‐Based Setting

“…Clearly, there is an overrepresentation of school‐based knowledge measurement tools that maintain a more general approach. A concern, however, is that there is evidence to suggest that a more targeted nutritional focus may be more likely to result in positive dietary changes . The present study therefore highlights a need for valid and reliable tools that measure knowledge of specific foods or food groups, such as dairy and fruits and vegetables.…”

“…Notably, nutrition knowledge was usually not the exclusive outcome of the intervention, and most studies considered other variables such as dietary behavior or intentions. Search terms and databases were developed in consultation with a learning and curriculum support specialist and were informed by relevant and recent systematic reviews . Search terms used were comprehensive and inclusive and were categorized by the following 4 groupings: study type (eg, intervention); assessment tools (eg, nutrition, diet, knowledge); population (eg, youth, preadolescent, adolescent); and setting (eg, school, school‐based, primary school, high school).…”