A Trial to Increase Child Vegetable Intake Through Behavioral Strategies
- Conditions
- Obesity, Childhood
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Parent-led behavioral strategies
- Registration Number
- NCT03641521
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Minnesota
- Brief Summary
A community nutrition trial among a diverse low-income population that tested the effect of parent-child cooking nutrition intervention on vegetable intake among 9-12 children.
- Detailed Description
This study was a nonrandomized, controlled trial to determine whether a series of 6 weekly parent-child vegetable cooking skills classes and parent-led strategies informed by behavioral economics (1/week) (intervention group) improved dietary and non-dietary outcomes of a racially and ethnically diverse sample of low-income children (ages 9-12) more than a vegetable cooking skills program alone (control group).
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 103
- Participant child must be 9-12 years old
- Parent must be the main food preparer for the household
- The family must qualify for some form of public assistance
- Have a phone
- Must not have participated in a previous Cooking Matters for Families in the past 3 years
- Be able to read, speak, and understand English (or Spanish for Spanish-only courses).
Exclusion criteria:
*No exclusions other than those that do not meet inclusion criteria
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Intervention Parent-led behavioral strategies The intervention consisted of an enhanced Cooking Matters® for Families program that included behavioral strategies derived from behavioral economics, to be implemented by parents at home for increasing vegetable intake of low-income 9-12 year old children
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method change in # of vegetable servings consumed by child measured by averaging vegetable serving data extracted from 3, 24-hr recalls. change from baseline to 12 months post-baseline Number of vegetable servings were assessed from 3, 24-hr dietary recalls, collected by trained study personnel in-person and over the phone from each child, using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR®)software). The 3, 24-hr recalls were averaged to come up with an aggregate # of vegetable servings.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method change in child's body mass index (as measured by collected height (m) and weight (kg) from child) change from baseline to 12-months post baseline Child Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from collected height and weight of child that were combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2
change in child's dietary energy (in kilocalories) intake change from baseline to 12-months post-baseline Child dietary data was assessed through from 3, 24-hr dietary recalls, collected by trained study personnel in -person and over the phone using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software.The 3, 24-hr recalls were averaged to come up with an aggregate score for each nutrient (e.g., dietary energy in kilocalories)
change in child cooking skills self-efficacy as measured by a validated survey to measure child cooking self-efficacy change from baseline to 9 weeks post-baseline (i.e., immediate post-intervention) Child cooking skills self-efficacy was measured using scales that have shown internal consistency and test-retest reliability in a psychometric evaluation of a cooking-based nutrition education intervention among low-income 9-11 year old children (Cronbach α = ≥ 0.74, test-retest r ≥ 0.66).(Lohse B, Cunningham-Sabo L, Walters LM, Stacey JE. Valid and Reliable Measures of Cognitive Behaviors toward Fruits and Vegetables for Children Aged 9 to 11 Years. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2011;43:42-49. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2009.12.006). Response options for the child self-efficacy questions: 1 = YES! - 5 = NO!). The child-self-efficacy scale was calculated by summing 8 items measuring self-efficacy. A lower score indicated greater self-efficacy and more positive attitudes toward cooking.
change in liking of vegetables by child ( liking rating scale was comprised of values across a 10-point labeled hedonic scale (1 -"Hate it" to 5 - "It's okay" to 10 - "Love it")) change from baseline to 12-months post baseline Each child rated his/her liking of 37 different vegetables.The liking rating scale was comprised of values across a 10-point labeled hedonic scale (1 -"Hate it" to 5 - "It's okay" to 10 - "Love it"). This type of liking rating scale has been validated for testing with children. (Kroll, B.J. 1990. Evaluating rating scales for sensory testing with children. Food Technology, 44(11), 78-86.) An aggregate vegetable liking score representing mean liking rating across all vegetables was calculated for each child.
change in number different of vegetables tried by child change from baseline to 12-months post-baseline Each child was asked the question "Have you ever tried (name of vegetable)" with following response options: Yes/No/Don't know. An aggregate score per child was tabulated by summing all "yes" answers.
change in number of available vegetables in the child's home change from baseline to 12-months post baseline Each of the child's parent was asked to complete a validated Home Food Inventory developed by Fulkerson and colleagues \[Fulkerson JA, Nelson MC, Lytle L, Moe S, Heitzler C, Pasch KE. The validation of a home food inventory. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2008;5:55. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-5-55\], to self-report the availability of different vegetables currently in their home. Response options for each question asking if the vegetable was currently in the home were "yes /no/ don't know" . Final number of available vegetables in the home was calculated by summing the number of vegetables for which the parent answered "yes."
change in child's Healthy Eating Index 2010 score (a measure of dietary quality) change from baseline to 12-months post baseline Child dietary data was assessed through from 3, 24-hr dietary recalls, collected by trained study personnel in -person and over the phone using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software.The 3, 24-hr recalls were averaged to come up with an aggregate score for each nutrient. NDSR data was imported into a SAS® program (version 9.4) (SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC 2014), created by National Institutes of Health-NCI, Division of Cancer Control \& Population Studies that calculated a Healthy Eating Index 2010 score, a validated measure of dietary quality, for each child.
change in liking of vegetables by child (liking rating scale was comprised of values across a 10-point labeled hedonic scale (1 -"Hate it" to 5 - "It's okay" to 10 - "Love it")) change from baseline to 9 weeks post-baseline (i.e., immediate post-intervention) Each child rated his/her liking of 37 different vegetables.The liking rating scale was comprised of values across a 10-point labeled hedonic scale (1 -"Hate it" to 5 - "It's okay" to 10 - "Love it"). This type of liking rating scale has been validated for testing with children. (Kroll, B.J. 1990. Evaluating rating scales for sensory testing with children. Food Technology, 44(11), 78-86.) An aggregate vegetable liking score representing mean liking rating across all vegetables was calculated for each child.
change in adult cooking skills confidence as measured by a validated survey to measure adult cooking confidence. Response options for the cooking confidence questions: (4 items, 1 = not at all confident - 5 = very confident). change from baseline to 9 weeks post-baseline (i.e., immediate post-intervention) Parents completed the Cooking Matters for Families Before and After Course Survey to assess change in cooking skills confidence. Internal consistency and ability of the scales to reflect positive self-reported changes were previously among low-income adults (Pinard CA, Uvena LM, Quam JB, Smith TM, Yaroch AL. Development and testing of a revised cooking matters for adults survey. Am J Health Behav. 2015;39(6):866-873. doi:10.5993/AJHB.39.6.14). Response options for the 4 cooking confidence questions: (4 items, 1 = not at all confident - 5 = very confident). An aggregate score for each parent was tabulated by averaging the 4 questions. A higher score indicated greater cooking skills confidence.