Effectiveness of a Psychoeducational Program to Promote a Critical Attitude Towards the Symbolic Consumption of Yoghurt in Primary School Children: Randomized Clinical Trial
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrollment
- 500
- Primary Endpoint
- Change from the child's initial symbolic consumption at 6 weeks
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The aim of this randomised controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention called a psychoeducational programme to promote a critical attitude towards the symbolic consumption of yoghurt in primary school children. Specifically, a cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted in primary schools in Lima, Peru. After informed consent of the tutor psychologists, children and parents, schools will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to the intervention or control group, with a total of 240 fourth grade students and 24 tutor psychologists. The primary and secondary research questions are as follows.
Detailed Description
The aim of this randomised controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention called a psychoeducational programme to promote a critical attitude towards the symbolic consumption of yoghurt in primary school children.
Specifically, a cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted in primary schools in Lima, Peru. After informed consent of the tutor psychologists, children and parents, schools will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to the intervention or control group, with a total of 240 fourth grade students and 24 tutor psychologists. The primary and secondary research questions are as follows.
The primary research question:
• Is the intervention effective in fostering critical attitudes towards symbolic yoghurt consumption in children from pre-test to post-test (Record of symbolic consumption responses: self, parent and facilitator reports)?
The secondary research questions:
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 9 Years to 9 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •For children:
- •Enrolled in 4th grade
- •Provide informed assent
- •Have written informed consent from their parents or legal guardians
- •Present normal intelligence according to the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test-2
- •For schools:
- •Provide access to the classroom within the school
- •Provide written informed consent for participation from 4th grade primary school psychologists
Exclusion Criteria
- •Not enrolled in 4th grade
- •Suffering from a mental disorder
- •Repeating 4th grade
- •Below normal intelligence according to the Raven-2 Progressive Matrices Test
Arms & Interventions
Intervention group
The promotion of critical consumption in children is to be developed in primary school classrooms. Students will spend a total of 7 hours: (2 sessions of 1 hour per week) for 3 consecutive weeks, plus a feedback session (1 hour per week); and there will be another session with parents (1 hour per week). The psychologist tutor will receive a set of six activities related to discriminating between symbolic and critical yoghurt consumption in children, understanding the persuasive intent of yoghurt advertising, awareness of social pressure and critical attitude. Psychological tutors will be trained and provided with support materials and equipment.
Intervention: psychoeducational programme to promote a critical attitude towards the symbolic consumption of yoghurt in primary school children (Behavioral)
Protocol to encourage critical consumption
As detailed in the description for the intervention group, the psychologist tutors guide the students in the classroom for two hours per week for three weeks in a row, plus a feedback session. There will also be a session with parents.
Intervention: psychoeducational programme to promote a critical attitude towards the symbolic consumption of yoghurt in primary school children (Behavioral)
No Intervention: Control
Five months after the start of the randomised clinical trial, primary school teachers in the control group will receive an unguided version of the psychoeducational intervention programme, supplemented by an online peer support group. They will be provided with the six activities related to critical consumption and awareness of the persuasive intent of advertising and social pressure for students to practice independently, in addition to online support from the research group. As in the intervention group, psychological support will be provided to children with emotional difficulties.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change from the child's initial symbolic consumption at 6 weeks
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks
The Symbolic Consumption Response Register (CRR) consists of 15 questions that are used to assess children's attitudes related to symbolic consumption. The frequency of children's symbolic consumption responses during the past week is rated on a 17-point scale (lowest frequency of symbolism = 1-4; intermediate frequency of symbolism = 5-13; highest frequency of symbolism = 14-17). Responses will be examined as an overall result and separately on understanding the persuasive intent of yoghurt advertising, on awareness of peer pressure and on critical attitude to consumption. Information for recording responses will be obtained from two interviews with the child and one interview with the parents, and from the six psychoeducational strategies developed with the children and one session with the parents. The answers of the children and their parents will be reported orally. The responses will be analysed separately.
Change from the child's initial symbolic consumption at 19 weeks
Time Frame: Baseline, 19 weeks
The Symbolic Consumption Response Register (CRR) consists of 15 questions that are used to assess children's attitudes related to symbolic consumption. The frequency of children's symbolic consumption responses during the past week is rated on a 17-point scale (lowest frequency of symbolism = 1-4; intermediate frequency of symbolism = 5-13; highest frequency of symbolism = 14-17). Responses will be examined as an overall result and separately on understanding the persuasive intent of yoghurt advertising, on awareness of peer pressure and on critical attitude to consumption. Information for recording responses will be obtained from two interviews with the child and one interview with the parents, and from the six psychoeducational strategies developed with the children and one session with the parents. The answers of the children and their parents will be reported orally. The responses will be analysed separately.
Secondary Outcomes
- Stability of child's deductive ability at 6 weeks(Baseline, 6 weeks)
- Stability of child's deductive ability at 19 weeks(Baseline, 19 weeks)
- Children's assessment of the psychoeducational programme(6 weeks)
- Child's Sex(Baseline)
- Assessment of facilitators' performance(Baseline)
- Children's psychosocial or behavioral dysfunction(Baseline)