The impact of a family web-based nutrition intervention to increase fruit, vegetable, and dairy intakes: a single-blinded randomized family clustered intervention

Abstract

Background The importance of adopting healthy eating habits at a young age to prevent obesity and chronic diseases justifies the need for effective interventions. Objective This study evaluated the impact of a family web-based nutrition intervention on vegetable and fruit (V/F) and dairy product (DP) consumption, nutrient intakes, diet quality and BMI or BMI z-scores. Methods Forty-three families with children aged 8–16 years were randomized to either the family web-based intervention, or web-based general nutrition guidelines (control) over 8 weeks. Nutritional variables were assessed with three-day dietary records while anthropometry (body weight and height) was assessed with standardized measures at baseline (PRE), immediately after the intervention (POST 1) and 3–6 months after the intervention (POST 2). Linear mixed models for repeated measures were used to assess the main effects and their interactions followed by post hoc tests. Results The intervention had an effect on DP, total sugar, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in children (Group x Time, P = 0.02 to 0.03) and on DP, V/F juice, carbohydrates, total sugar, saturated fat, protein and calcium in parents (Group x Time, P = 0.01 to 0.03). Post hoc tests revealed children in the intervention group increased their DP intakes immediately after the intervention (POST1) but decreased at follow-up (POST2). No effect of the intervention on V/F, diet quality or BMI was observed. Conclusion Compared to general nutrition guidelines, this family web-based nutrition intervention had a modest effect on nutrient intakes, but beneficial effect on DP intakes in the short term. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03798808, Registered 10 january 2019 - Retrospectively registered.

The Fruit Intake–Adiposity Paradox: Findings from a Peruvian Cross-Sectional Study

“…In contrast to what was found for fruit consumption per serving, the intake of fruit juices per day was positively related to an increase 0.27 kg/m 2 and 0.40 cm of BMI and waist circumference, respectively, for each serving of juice consumed. This finding differs from that found in other works in which the intake of natural fruit juices showed an inverse and dose-dependent relationship with BMI and waist circumference [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. Methodological differences in the assessment of fruit juice intake may partly explain this discrepancy.…”

“…Consuming more servings of fruit per day was inversely related to BMI and waist circumference. These findings are in line with previous cross-sectional [27,28] and prospective [3,13,[27][28][29] studies. Although differences in the magnitude of the beta coefficients between fruit intake and anthropometric markers among studies exists, it should be considered that this variability may reflect the diverse nature of the population studied.…”

“…First, the study's crosssectional nature prevents the establishment of a causal relationship for the outcomes obtained. Second, although the analysis was adjusted for different covariates that have been reported to be important for fruit intake [41], we could not adjust for total energy intake or physical activity, covariates that are significant in analyses of food consumption [27], as the information coming from ENDES does not assess caloric intake. Third, intake was assessed via self-report and was not carried out with the most frequently used methodology, that is, with the use of the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), which may limit the possibility for comparisons between studies.…”

Increased WIC Cash Value Benefit is Associated with Greater Amount and Diversity of Redeemed Fruits and Vegetables among Participating Households

“…This result may indicate that families found it easier to increase redemption than intake, and they turned to storage-friendly options to reap the full value of the augmented CVB. Changes to the amount of the WIC-issued CVB may not alter established preferences absent further educational interventions to promote increased intakes of less familiar types of FVs [ 43 , 47 ].…”

A literature review of evidence for primary prevention of overweight and obesity in healthy weight children and adolescents: A report produced by a working group of the Danish Council on Health and Disease Prevention

“…In school-aged children, interventions taking a rather innovative approach have been conducted, such as school-based gardening, 93 gamification strategy to nutrition and physical activity, 94 or interventions delivered by class-room teachers. 95 However, only few studies conducted in school-aged children have found intervention effects (for example, other works [94][95][96] ), and the majority of studies have shown no effects of the intervention (for example, previous studies 93,[97][98][99][100][101][102][103] ).…”