Efficacy of a Digital School-Based Nutrition Education Intervention to Improve Children's Healthy Eating Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 616
- 试验地点
- 2
- 主要终点
- Overall nutrition knowledge
研究概览
简要总结
This trial will test the hypothesis that a digital curriculum-based nutrition education intervention using the Foodbot Factory serious game (i.e., a game designed for learning) leads to greater student engagement and learning about nutrition, compared to conventional nutrition education (e.g., worksheets), among students in Grades 4 and 5 in Ontario, Canada. This hypothesis is based on existing research suggesting that digital serious games, when well-integrated into the classroom setting, promote greater student engagement, learning and knowledge retention.
详细描述
This two-arm parallel cluster randomized controlled efficacy trial will determine if a digital curriculum-based nutrition education intervention (intervention group) leads to greater increases in overall nutrition knowledge compared to conventional nutrition education (control group) in Grade 4 and 4/5 classrooms after 1 week, and that it facilitates greater retention at 4 weeks and 3 months following the intervention period. Secondary outcomes include sub-scores of nutrition knowledge (i.e., knowledge of specific food groupings), nutrition attitudes, general child nutrition behaviours and dietary intakes. Due to the enhanced engagement serious games can provide, it is hypothesized that participants in the intervention group will show greater changes in and retention of their nutrition knowledge and nutrition behaviours. Thirty-two Grade 4 and 4/5 classrooms in Ontario, Canada will be randomized to the intervention or control group. Participants in both groups will receive nutrition education lessons for 35-40 minutes a day for five consecutive days. Participants in the intervention group will use the Foodbot Factory serious game while participants in the control group will use conventional learning materials (e.g., worksheets, teacher-led instruction). Both interventions will have these learning materials integrated into standardized nutrition education lesson plans. Overall and sub-scores of nutrition knowledge, and nutrition attitudes will be assessed using the Nutrition Attitudes and Knowledge questionnaire. General child nutrition behaviours (e.g., frequency of eating meals outside the home) will be assessed using a modified version of the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Screening Tool and dietary intake will be assessed using the Block Food Screener for Ages 2-17. At baseline, parents and classroom teachers will respectively complete demographic questionnaires to measure co-variates that may impact outcomes of interest (e.g., household food security, presence of school food programs).
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Prevention
- 盲法
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Grade 4 or 4/5 classroom
- •Classroom is located in a participating school board in Ontario
排除标准
- •Classroom has already covered the "Healthy Eating" component of the Ontario Physical Health Education curriculum
结局指标
主要结局
Overall nutrition knowledge
时间窗: Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.
Change in knowledge of healthy food choices based on Canada's Food Guide from baseline to immediately post-intervention as assessed by the Nutrition Attitudes and Knowledge Questionnaire. The minimum score is 0 and the maximum score is 20 with higher scores indicating higher knowledge.
次要结局
- Drinks knowledge(Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.)
- Dietary intake(Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.)
- Vegetables & fruit knowledge(Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.)
- Intervention acceptability(Measured immediately post-intervention (Day 5).)
- Protein foods knowledge(Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.)
- Nutrition attitudes(Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.)
- Whole grain foods knowledge(Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.)
- General nutrition behaviours(Measured at baseline and 3 months post-intervention.)
研究者
JoAnne Arcand
Associate Professor
University of Ontario Institute of Technology