A Tele-Visit Nutrition Intervention Promoting Consumption of Healthy Foods and Beverages Among Adolescents Attending Rural Public Schools

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this project was to assess dietary changes related to fruit, vegetable, sugary beverage, and caffeinated beverage intakes among adolescent participants attending rural public schools who received nutrition intervention via tele-visits. Methods Students 5th–8th grade from six public schools in rural areas of Arkansas voluntarily participated in a tele-visit nutrition education intervention. Students had the opportunity to participate in up to seven tele-visit sessions over a 6-month period. Each tele-visit consisted of a 20-minute one-on-one session addressing a specific nutrition-related topic. A 16-item retrospective questionnaire assessed dietary behaviors After then Before the intervention. Wilcoxon signed-rank and exact sign tests determined if there were statistically significant differences between the number of days per week fruits, vegetables, sugary beverages, caffeinated beverages, milk, and water were consumed Before and After intervention. Results Data from 29 participants revealed a statistically significant (P = 0.03) median increase (+1.00 day/week) in drinking 8 glasses of water per day After completion of the intervention (4.00 days/week) compared to Before the intervention (3.00 days/week). While not statistically significant (P > 0.05), other results indicated participants experienced positive changes in dietary habits, such as decreased frequency of soda (41% of participants), and sweet tea (41% of participants) consumption, and increased frequency of fruit (41% of participants) and vegetable (28% of participants) consumption. Conclusions While majority of results were not statistically significant, they demonstrated practical relevance among participants through positive changes in dietary habits. Use of tele-visits to reach adolescent populations in rural areas is worth further exploration, as positive changes during this age may have potential to carry-over into adulthood. Funding Sources Telehealth Network Grant Program.