SummaryEarly childhood is an important period for adopting positive health-related behaviours. More than 95% of European preschool children attend kindergartens, making these settings ideal for the implementation of health promotion interventions. The ToyBox-intervention addressed preschool children, their parents/caregivers and teachers. The aim of the intervention was to improve four energy balance-related behaviours (i.e. healthy snacking, water consumption, physical activity and sedentary behaviour) by implementing a kindergartenbased, family-involved intervention in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain). The intervention material was developed following the intervention mapping protocol, taking into account local and cultural differences among the intervention countries. The present paper focuses on the development of the physical activity component of the intervention. Parental involvement was addressed by providing parents/ caregivers with two newsletters, two tip cards and a poster. Teachers received a handbook with guidance on environmental changes in the classroom, 26 physical education sessions and suggestions for fun, interactive classroom activities aiming at total class participation to increase preschoolers' physical activity levels. The ToyBox-intervention material was distributed according to a standard time frame. Teachers received their material prior to the start of the intervention and parents/caregivers received their material during the intervention when each energy balance-related behaviour was implemented.Keywords: Intervention, kindergarten, obesity prevention, physical activity. obesity reviews (2014) obesity reviews
on behalf of the ToyBox-study group, Reproducibility and relative validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire in European preschoolers: the ToyBox-study, Nutrition (2019), doi: https://doi.
Highlights A food frequency questionnaire for preschoolers offered moderate-good reproducibility. A food frequency questionnaire for preschoolers offered low-moderate validity. Results were good depending of food and beverage group.
AbstractObjectives: To examine the reproducibility and relative validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in assessing food group estimates.Methods: Food group estimates were assessed via a 37-item FFQ and a three-day food record (FR). Pearson´s correlation coefficients for log-transformed values were calculated to assess the reproducibility and Spearman"s rank correlation coefficients for logtransformed values were calculated to assess the validity. Kindergartens from six European countries participated in the preparatory substudies of the ToyBox-intervention study; data from preschool children aged 4-6 years (n=196, reproducibility study; n=324, validation study) were obtained.
Results:In the reproducibility study, positive Pearson"s correlation coefficients for single and aggregated food groups ranged from 0.14 for pasta and rice to 0.90 for cooked vegetables. In the validation study, the FR gave higher estimates of 40 of the 50 food items (single and aggregated) examined, compared to those obtained from the FFQ.Positive crude Spearman rank correlation coefficients ranged from 0.01 for total beverages (added sugar) and rice to 0.62 for tea. Corrections for the de-attenuation effect did not improve observed correlations. Quartiles/tertiles were calculated for a small number of food groups (n=14) due to zero consumption in the rest of the groups. Conclusions:Moderate-good reproducibility and low-moderate relative validity of the FFQ used in preschool children was observed. Relative validity however, varied by food and beverage group; for some of the "key" foods/drinks targeted in the ToyBox-intervention (e.g.
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