The influence of a school-based intervention programme regarding adherence to a healthy diet in children and adolescents from disadvantaged areas in Greece: the DIATROFI study

Kastorini, C.-M.; Lykou, Anastasia; Yannakoulia, Mary; Petralias, Athanassios; Riza, Elena; Linos, Athena

doi:10.1136/jech-2015-205680

Cited by 35 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(31 reference statements)

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“…Be that as it may, the dietary patterns of children and adolescents in Greece over the last decades are shifting away from the traditional Greek diet, towards an unhealthier direction (12)(13)(14)(15)(16) . At the same time, approximately 40% of children and adolescents are either overweight or obese, exhibiting one of the highest prevalence rates of pediatric overweight and obesity in Europe (16)(17)(18) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

National Dietary Guidelines of Greece for children and adolescents: a tool for promoting healthy eating habits

Kastorini

Critselis

Zota

et al. 2019

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective:Dietary guidelines are an essential policy tool for facilitating optimal dietary patterns and healthy eating behaviours. We report: (i) the methodological approach adopted for developing the National Dietary Guidelines of Greece (NDGGr) for Infants, Children and Adolescents; and (ii) the guidelines for children aged 1–18 years.Design:An evidence-based approach was employed to develop food-based recommendations according to the methodologies of the WHO, FAO and European Food Safety Authority. Physical activity recommendations were also compiled. Food education, healthy eating tips and suggestions were also provided.Setting:The NDGGr encompass food-based nutritional and physical activity recommendations for promoting healthy dietary patterns and eating behaviours and secondarily to serve as a helpful tool for the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity.Results:The NDGGr include food-based recommendations, food education and health promotion messages regarding: (i) fruits; (ii) vegetables; (iii) milk and dairy products; (iv) cereals; (v) red and white meat; (vi) fish and seafood; (vii) eggs; (viii) legumes; (ix) added lipids, olives, and nuts; (x) added sugars and salt; (xi) water and beverages, and (xii) physical activity. A Nutrition Wheel, consisting of the ten most pivotal key messages, was developed to enhance the adoption of optimal dietary patterns and a healthy lifestyle. The NDGGr additionally provide recommendations regarding the optimal frequency and serving sizes of main meals, based on the traditional Greek diet.Conclusions:As a policy tool for promoting healthy eating, the NDGGr have been disseminated in public schools across Greece.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

National Dietary Guidelines of Greece for children and adolescents: a tool for promoting healthy eating habits

Kastorini

Critselis

Zota

et al. 2019

Public Health Nutr.

Self Cite

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“…Most primary school children spend approximately 6 hours per day at school [19] with most of this time (65%) being sedentary [20] . School-based interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing health inequalities [21] , [22] , promoting healthy behaviours generally [23] , increasing physical activity [12] and may also be helpful in preventing excessive sedentary behaviour in children [24] . However, there appears to be variability in how each of these studies measured sedentary time as an outcome, therefore leading to uncertainties in objective reliability in intervention efficacy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

School-based Interventions to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour in Children: A Systematic Review

et al. 2016

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IntroductionProlonged, uninterrupted periods of sedentary time may be associated with increased risk of Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality even if the minimum recommended levels of daily physical activity are achieved. It is reported that children spend approximately 80% of their day engaged in sedentary behaviours. Since children spend a large portion of their waking time at school, school-based interventions targeting excessive or interrupted periods of sedentary time have been investigated in a number of studies. However, results of the effectiveness of studies to-date have been inconsistent.AimTo conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based interventions designed to reduce sedentary behaviour on objectively measured sedentary time in children.MethodsFive electronic databases were searched to retrieve peer-reviewed studies published in English up to and including August 2015. Studies that reported objectively measured sedentary time before and after a school-based intervention to reduce sedentary time were included in the review. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration method.ResultsOur search identified eleven papers reporting eight interventions. Studies focused on the physical environment, the curriculum, individual in-class activities, homework activities or a combination of these strategies. Three studies reported decreases in sedentary time following intervention. Study follow-up periods ranged from immediately post-intervention to 12 months. None of the studies were judged to have a low risk of bias.ConclusionsMulticomponent interventions which also include the use of standing desks may be an effective method for reducing children's sedentary time in a school-based intervention. However, longer term trials are needed to determine the sustained effectiveness of such interventions on children's sedentary time.

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“…Parents reported that their child’s intake of fresh produce increased after participating, with most reporting that the nutrition education component was effective. Similarly, nutrition education has been integrated into a free-school meal intervention in low SES schools in parts of Greece [41]. Here, provision of a free meal, education about a healthy diet and physical activity, as well as cooking demonstrations for parents, resulted in significant increases in consumption of multiple healthful foods, and some movement towards a Mediterranean diet pattern, which is suggested to have health benefits.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of the Evaluation of Interventions to Tackle Children’s Food Insecurity

Holley

Mason

2019

Curr Nutr Rep

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Purpose of ReviewTo synthesise the research which has sought to evaluate interventions aiming to tackle children’s food insecurity and the contribution of this research to evidencing the effectiveness of such interventions.Recent FindingsThe majority of studies in this review were quantitative, non-randomised studies, including cohort studies. Issues with non-complete outcome data, measurement of duration of participation in interventions, and accounting for confounds are common in these evaluation studies. Despite the limitations of the current evidence base, the papers that were reviewed provide evidence for multiple positive outcomes for children participating in attended and subsidy interventions, inter alia, reductions in food insecurity, poor health and obesity. However, current evaluations may overlook key areas of impact of these interventions on the lives and outcomes of participating children.SummaryThis review suggests that the current evidence base which evaluates food insecurity interventions for children is both mixed and limited in scope and quality. In particular, the outcomes measured are narrow, and many papers have methodological limitations. With this in mind, a systems-based approach to both implementation and evaluation of food poverty interventions is recommended.

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The influence of a school-based intervention programme regarding adherence to a healthy diet in children and adolescents from disadvantaged areas in Greece: the DIATROFI study

Cited by 35 publications

References 41 publications

National Dietary Guidelines of Greece for children and adolescents: a tool for promoting healthy eating habits

National Dietary Guidelines of Greece for children and adolescents: a tool for promoting healthy eating habits

School-based Interventions to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour in Children: A Systematic Review

A Systematic Review of the Evaluation of Interventions to Tackle Children’s Food Insecurity

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