Examining How Adding a Booster to a Behavioral Nutrition Intervention Prompts Parents to Pack More Vegetables and Whole Gains in Their Preschool Children's Sack Lunches

Abstract

Data from a five-week intervention to increase parents' packing of vegetables and whole grains in their preschool children's sack lunches showed that, although changes occurred, habit strength was weak. To determine the effects of adding a one-week booster three months post-intervention, children's (N = 59 intervention and 48 control) lunches were observed at baseline (week 0), post-intervention (week 6), pre-booster (week 20), and post-booster (week 26). Servings of vegetables and whole grains were evaluated in repeated measures models and results inspected relative to patterns projected from different explanatory models of behavior change processes. Observed changes aligned with projections from the simple associative model of behavior change. Attention in future studies should focus on behavioral intervention elements that leverage stimulus-response associations to increase gratification parents receive from providing their children with healthy lunches.

Preschool and School Meal Policies: An Overview of What We Know about Regulation, Implementation, and Impact on Diet in the UK, Sweden, and Australia

“…We know of few published high quality longitudinal studies or randomised controlled trials evaluating the impact of school meal policies on nutrition behaviour, diet quality, and health [ 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 ], although some are currently underway [ 112 , 113 , 114 ]. A more rigorous evaluation of the benefits of school meals on diet quality and health outcomes (such as obesity), including longitudinal studies or randomised controlled trials, are needed to assess the impact of policies, particularly on reducing inequalities in diet and health.…”

Intervención para modificar hábitos alimentarios en los refrigerios de escolares de una ciudad fronteriza México / Estados Unidos

“…En el 2018, Roberts-Gray et al ( 33 ) realizaron otra intervención aumentando a 28 semanas y reportaron que el 14% de niños aumentaron el consumo de verduras ( p = 0.006) y cereales integrales ( p = 0.010). Sweitzer et al ( 34 ) realizaron una intervención con los padres de preescolares, a los que les fueron enviados folletos a casa, integraron actividades padre-hijo, y docente-escolar dentro de la escuela, por 26 semanas, al cabo de las cuales los autores observaron que el GI aumentó las porciones de verduras y cereales integrales. Resultados similares se reportan en el presente estudio, en donde se observó aumento en el consumo de verdura y cereales integrales.…”

Structuring Process Evaluation to Forecast Use and Sustainability of an Intervention: Theory and Data From the Efficacy Trial for Lunch Is in the Bag

“…Adapted with permission from "Checking the Congruence Between a Program and its Organizational Environment," by C. Roberts-Gray, & M. A. Scheirer, 1988, New Directions for Program Evaluation, 40, p. 67. Copyright 1988 bag lunches, the intervention is implemented 5 weeks in the fall with a 1-week booster in the spring (Sweitzer et al, 2014). Grounded in social cognitive theory (Bandura, 2004; see also Aijzen & Manstead, 2007), the core components (Sweitzer et al, 2010) are weekly lunch-packing newsletters from the ECE center, teacher-child classroom activities, center-based parent-child activity stations, and a 1-hour initial training for ECE staff to support the center's role as healthy eating educator and advocate.…”