Effect of a Parent-Focused eHealth Intervention on Children’s Fruit, Vegetable, and Discretionary Food Intake (Food4toddlers): Randomized Controlled Trial
Background In Western countries, children’s diets are often low in fruits and vegetables and high in discretionary foods. Diet in early life tends to track through childhood and youth and even into adulthood. Interventions should, therefore, be delivered in periods when habitual traits are established, as in toddlerhood when children adapt to their family’s diet. Objective In this study, we assessed the effect of the Food4toddlers eHealth intervention, which aimed to enhance toddlers’ diets by shaping their food and eating environment. Methods The Food4toddlers randomized controlled trial was conducted in Norway in 2017-2018. Parent-child dyads were recruited through social media. In total…
Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the ENERGY-parent questionnaire on parenting practices, energy balance-related behaviours and their potential behavioural determinants: the ENERGY-project
Published version from the journal: BMC Research Notes. Also available from BMC: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-5-434 Open Access Background: Insight in parental energy balance-related behaviours, their determinants and parenting practices are important to inform childhood obesity prevention. Therefore, reliable and valid tools to measure these variables in large-scale population research are needed. The objective of the current study was to examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the parent questionnaire used in the ENERGY-project, assessing parental energy balance-related behaviours, their determinants, and parenting practices among parents of 10–12 year old chi…
Associations between home- and family-related factors and fruit juice and soft drink intake among 10- to 12-year old children. The ENERGY project.
The aim of this study is to investigate associations of family-related factors with children's fruit drink/juice and soft drink consumption. A cross-sectional survey among 10- to 12-year-old children and their parents in eight European countries was conducted to gather this data. Key variables of interest were children's self-reported fruit drink/juice and soft drink intake per day (outcome) and family-related factors (based on parents' report) related to these two behaviors (modeling, automaticity, availability, monitoring, permissiveness, negotiating, communicating health beliefs, avoid negative modeling, self-efficacy, rewarding, and family consumption). 7915 Children (52% girls; mean ag…
Regular family breakfast was associated with children's overweight and parental education: Results from the ENERGY cross-sectional study
Introduction This study aims to assess (i) the prevalence of having regular family breakfast, lunch, dinner (i.e. 5–7 days/week together with their family) among 10–12 year olds in Europe, (ii) the association between family meals and child weight status, and (iii) potential differences in having family meals according to country of residence, gender, ethnicity and parental levels of education. Methods 7716 children (mean age: 11.5 ± 0.7 years, 52% girls) in eight European countries (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland) participated in a cross-sectional school-based survey in 2010. Data on family meals were self-reported by the parents and childre…
The influence of parental modelling on children's physical activity and screen time: Does it differ by gender?
Background: Parents play an important role in modelling healthy behaviours to their children. This study investigated associations between parent and child physical activity and screen time behaviours across specific domains, including moderating effects by parent and child gender. Method: The sample comprised 3300 school children and 2933 parents participating in the UP4FUN project (mean ages: child 11.2 ± 0.8 years, mother 40.0 ± 4.9 years, father 43.4 ± 5.8 years; 49% boys, 83% mothers). Data were collected in 2011 in Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Germany and Norway. Questionnaires assessed physical activity (sport, outdoor activities, walking and cycling for transport) and screen time (TV/D…
Patterns of objectively measured sedentary time in 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children: an observational study within the ENERGY-project
Background This study examined the frequency of and differences in sedentary bouts of different durations and the total time spent in sedentary bouts on a weekday, a weekend day, during school hours, during after-school hours and in the evening period in a sample of 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children. Methods Accelerometer data were collected as part of the ENERGY-project in Belgium (n = 577, 10.9 ± 0.7 years, 53% girls) in 2011. Differences in total sedentary time, sedentary bouts of 2–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–30 and ≥30 min and total time accumulated in those bouts were examined on a weekday, a weekend day, during school hours, during after-school hours and in the evening period, using multile…
The role of family-related factors in the effects of the UP4FUN school-based family-focused intervention targeting screen time in 10- to 12-year-old children: the ENERGY project
Background Screen-related behaviours are highly prevalent in schoolchildren. Considering the adverse health effects and the relation of obesity and screen time in childhood, efforts to affect screen use in children are warranted. Parents have been identified as an important influence on children’s screen time and therefore should be involved in prevention programmes. The aim was to examine the mediating role of family-related factors on the effects of the school-based family-focused UP4FUN intervention aimed at screen time in 10- to 12-year-old European children (n child–parent dyads = 1940). Methods A randomised controlled trial was conducted to test the six-week UP4FUN intervention in 10-…
Free school meals as an approach to reduce health inequalities among 10-12- year-old Norwegian children.
Abstract Background Children spend a considerable amount of time at school and consume at least one meal/day. This study aimed to investigate if a free, healthy school meal every day for one school year was associated with children’s intake of healthy foods at school, weight status and moderating effects of socio-economic status. Methods A non-randomized study design with an intervention and a control group was used to measure change in children’s dietary habits at lunchtime. In total, 164 children participated; 55 in the intervention group and 109 in the control group (baseline). Intervention-children were served a free, healthy school meal every school day for one year. Participating chil…
Can Parenting Practices Moderate the Relationship between Reward Sensitivity and Adolescents’ Consumption of Snacks and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages?
Background: Reward sensitivity has been associated with adolescents&rsquo
The Food4toddlers study - study protocol for a web-based intervention to promote healthy diets for toddlers: a randomized controlled trial
Abstract Background Eating habits are established during childhood and track into adolescence and later in life. Given that these habits have a large public health impact and influence the increasing rates of childhood obesity worldwide, there is a need for effective, evidence-based prevention trials promoting healthy eating habits in the first 2 years of life. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the effect of an eHealth intervention called Food4toddlers, aiming to promote healthy dietary habits in toddlers by targeting parents’ awareness of their child’s food environment (i.e., how food is provided or presented) and eating environment (e.g., feeding practices and social inter…
Associations between family-related factors, breakfast consumption and BMI among 10- to 12-year-old European children: the cross-sectional ENERGY-study
Objective: To investigate associations of family-related factors with children's breakfast consumption and BMI-z-score and to examine whether children's breakfast consumption mediates associations between family-related factors and children's BMI-z-score. Subjects: Ten-to twelve-year-old children (n = 6374; mean age = 11.6 +/- 0.7 years, 53.2% girls, mean BMI-z-score = 0.4 +/- 1.2) and one of their parents (n = 6374; mean age = 41.4 +/- 5.3 years, 82.7% female, mean BMI = 24.5 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2)) were recruited from schools in eight European countries (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland). The children self-reported their breakfast frequency per …
The impact of diet during adolescence on the neonatal health of offspring: evidence on the importance of preconception diet. The HUNT study
Background: Emerging evidence suggests that parents' nutritional status before and at the time of conception influences the lifelong physical and mental health of their child. Yet little is known about the relationship between diet in adolescence and the health of the next generation at birth. This study examined data from Norwegian cohorts to assess the relationship between dietary patterns in adolescence and neonatal outcomes. Methods: Data from adolescents who participated in the Nord-TrA¸ndelag Health Study (Young-HUNT) were merged with birth data for their offspring through the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). Young-HUNT1 collected data from 8980 adolescents between 1995 and 19…
Effect of a free healthy school meal on fruit, vegetables and unhealthy snacks intake in Norwegian 10- to 12-year-old children
Abstract Background Norwegian children have a lower intake of fruit, vegetables, and a higher intake of unhealthy snacks compared to dietary guidelines. Such dietary inadequacies may be detrimental for their current and future health. Schools are favorable settings to establish healthy eating practices. Still, no school meal arrangement is provided in Norway, and most children typically bring packed lunches from home. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serving a free healthy school meal for one year resulted in a higher intake of fruit and vegetables and a lower intake of unhealthy snacks in total among 10–12-year-olds in Norway. Methods The School Meal Project in Southern Nor…
Fat-soluble nutrients and Omega-3 fatty acids as modifiable factors influencing preterm birth risk
Preterm birth is a leading cause of child morbidity and mortality, so strategies to reduce early birth must remain a priority. One key approach to enhancing birth outcomes is improving maternal dietary intake. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss mechanisms on perinatal status of fat-soluble nutrients (carotenoids, retinol, tocopherols) and omega-3 fatty acids and how they impact risk for preterm birth. Literature review demonstrates that maternal dietary intake and biological (blood and placental tissue) levels of fat-soluble nutrients during pregnancy may provide antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids also promote increas…
Process Evaluation of an eHealth Intervention (Food4toddlers) to Improve Toddlers' Diet : Randomized Controlled Trial
Background Parents seek trustworthy information online to promote healthy eating for their toddlers. Such information must be perceived as relevant and easy to implement and use. Objective The objectives of this study were to conduct a process evaluation of the electronic health (eHealth) intervention (Food4toddlers) targeting food environment, parental feeding practices, and toddlers’ diet and to examine possible differences in these areas according to education and family composition. Methods A 2-armed randomized controlled trial, including 298 parent–toddler dyads from Norway, was conducted in 2017. In total, 148 parents in the intervention group received access to an intervention websi…
Disposition-Content Congruency in Adolescents’ Alcohol-Related Social Media (Self-) Effects: The Role of the Five-Factor Model
Objective: Accumulating evidence indicates that social networking sites play an increasingly important role in young people’s drinking behavior. The present study adds to this research by assessing the conditionality of the relationships between exposure to and self-sharing of alcohol-related content on social media and adolescents’ drinking behavior. Specifically, the moderating role of the five-factor model of personality is determined. Method: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 866 mid-adolescents (Msubsample = 14.85 years, SD = 0.71, 57.5% girls). Polynomial regression analysis with response surface modeling was used to test the interactions. Results: Exposure, but not s…
Qualitative Evaluation of the STOEMP Network in Ghent: An Intersectoral Approach to Make Healthy and Sustainable Food Available to All
The STOEMP network is, to our knowledge, one of the first initiatives to bring different sectors together in a municipality so as to increase accessibility to healthy and sustainable foods for all, with particular attention for the disadvantaged population. This qualitative study aimed to gain an in-depth insight into how the STOEMP network aims to reach its goal of making healthy, sustainable food available to everyone, through an intersectoral, collaborative process, exploring the facilitators and challenges of taking a systems-oriented approach to achieving this. Interviews were conducted among 15 stakeholders of the STOEMP network between March&ndash
The effect of the UP4FUN pilot intervention on objectively measured sedentary time and physical activity in 10-to 12 year old children in Belgium : the ENERGY-project
Published version of an article in the journal: BMC Public Health. Also available from BMC: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-805 Bakckground: The first aim was to examine the effect of the UP4FUN pilot intervention on children’s total sedentary time. The second aim was to investigate if the intervention had an effect on children’s physical activity (PA) level. Finally, we aimed to investigate demographic differences (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, living status and having siblings) between children in the intervention group who improved in sedentary time and PA at post-test and children in the intervention group who worsened in sedentary time and PA at post-test. Methods: The six weeks …
Individual and family environmental correlates of television and computer time in 10- to 12-year-old European children: The ENERGY-project Energy balance-related behaviors
Background: The aim was to investigate which individual and family environmental factors are related to television and computer time separately in 10- to-12-year-old children within and across five European countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway). Methods: Data were used from the ENERGY-project. Children and one of their parents completed a questionnaire, including questions on screen time behaviours and related individual and family environmental factors. Family environmental factors included social, political, economic and physical environmental factors. Complete data were obtained from 2022 child–parent dyads (53.8 % girls, mean child age 11.2 ± 0.8 years; mean parental age…
The school nutrition environment and its association with soft drink intakes in seven countries across Europe - the ENERGY project
The school is an important setting for promoting healthy eating especially at the transition from childhood to adolescence. This study contributes to the literature by describing practices within physical, political and sociocultural aspects of the school nutrition environment in seven countries across Europe based on questionnaires to the school management, and exploring their associations with soft drink consumption reported on questionnaires by 10-12 year olds. Several of the commonly self-reported practices could be supportive of a healthy diet (time to eat, access to water, restriction on marketing), but some practices were underutilized (i.e. discussion with stakeholders, healthy food…
Additional file 1: of Individual and family environmental correlates of television and computer time in 10- to 12-year-old European children: the ENERGY-project
Bivariate associations between individual and family environmental factors and television or computer time per country. (DOCX 25 kb)
Associations between parental food choice motives, health-promoting feeding practices, and infants' fruit and vegetable intakes: the Food4toddlers study.
Background: Parents influence their infants' diets and are the providers of healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables. Parental motives can influence infant's diets directly or through parental feeding practices. Objective: This study aimed to assess the associations between parental food choice motives and infants' fruit and vegetable intakes and to examine whether parental feeding practices mediated these associations. Design: A total of 298 parents participated in the Norwegian Food4toddlers study. Before the child's first birthday (mean age = 10.9 months), the parents completed an online baseline questionnaire. Five parental food choice motives were assessed: health, convenience, senso…
Individual and family environmental correlates of television and computer time in 10-to 12-year-old European children: the ENERGY-project
Background The aim was to investigate which individual and family environmental factors are related to television and computer time separately in 10- to-12-year-old children within and across five European countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway). Methods Data were used from the ENERGY-project. Children and one of their parents completed a questionnaire, including questions on screen time behaviours and related individual and family environmental factors. Family environmental factors included social, political, economic and physical environmental factors. Complete data were obtained from 2022 child–parent dyads (53.8 % girls, mean child age 11.2 ± 0.8 years; mean parental age 4…
Family sociodemographic characteristics as correlates of children’s breakfast habits and weight status in eight European countries. The ENERGY (EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth) project
AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of the present study was to investigate the associations of family sociodemographic characteristics with children’s weight status and whether these potential associations are mediated by children’s breakfast habits.DesignA school-based survey among 10–12-year-old children was conducted in eight European countries. Children’s weight and height were measured and breakfast habits and family sociodemographic characteristics were self-reported by 5444 children and their parents. International Obesity Task Force cut-off points were used to categorize children as overweight/obese or normal weight. Mediation analyses were used to test the potential mediating effect of c…
Additional file 1: of Patterns of objectively measured sedentary time in 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children: an observational study within the ENERGY-project
Dataset. Sedentary patterns of 10- to 12-year old children. (XLS 1444 kb)