Evidence-Based Nutrition Interventions Improved Adolescents' Knowledge and Behaviors in Indonesia

[Effect of a nutritional intervention on nutrient content in school snacks in public schools in Mexico]

INTRODUCTION

nutritional interventions (IN) in schoolchildren allow for health promotion, physical activity, and nutrition actions for the prevention of malnutrition.

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the effect of an IN on the nutrient content in school snacks (ER) in public education schools in Mexico.

METHODS

descriptive, longitudinal, and prospective study with a sample of 812 children were classified into intervention group (IG) and control group (GC). Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference) were made to identify nutritional status (EN); to evaluate the ER, the food and beverages that the children took from home to consume during the break were recorded on a checklist; the IN was performed in the GI for 12 weeks with a 6-week reinforcement and the final evaluation was carried out that included EN and SP in both groups.

RESULTS

a 1.4 % increase in overweight (SP) and obesity (OB) was observed in the GI, while in the GC it increased 5.5 %. In the CR, the GC showed a higher consumption of calories, carbohydrates, and sugars. In the intragroup analysis, the GI decreased carbohydrates, sugars. This intervention showed a small effect on the decrease of calories, carbohydrates and polyunsaturated acids of the GI compared to the GC.

CONCLUSION

IN had a positive effect on the decrease in the energy and carbohydrate content of school snacks and therefore a slower trend in the prevalence of SP and OB in the GI compared to the GC.

Reducing Dietary Sodium Intake among Young Adults in Ghana: A Call to Action

The positive association between excessive dietary sodium intake, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been widely investigated in observational studies and clinical trials. Reducing sodium intake is a proven strategy to prevent hypertension and the onset of CVD, a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Africa has the youngest population globally, which is key to the continent's sustainable development. However, in Africa, the epidemics of hypertension and CVD negatively impact life expectancy and economic growth. Ghana, like other African countries, is no exception. The factors contributing to the increasing burden of CVD and excessive sodium consumption are multi-faceted and multi-level, including individual lifestyle, neighborhood and built environments, and socio-economic and health policies. Thus, the implementation of evidence-based interventions such as the World Health Organization Best Buys that target the multi-level determinants of sodium consumption is urgently needed in Ghana and other African countries. The aim of this commentary is to highlight factors that contribute to excessive sodium consumption. Second, the commentary will showcase lessons of successful implementation of sodium reduction interventions in other countries. Such lessons may help avert CVD in young adults in Ghana and Africa.

The effect of nutritional and lifestyle education intervention program on nutrition knowledge, diet quality, lifestyle, and nutritional status of Croatian school children

Introduction

Nutrition education during adolescence has proven effective in increasing knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the diet. The Mediterranean diet has proven health benefits and is proposed as a model of a sustainable diet that is beneficial for health and the environment. Its promotion with the educational program can have a significant effect on improvements in nutrition knowledge, diet quality, and nutritive status of adolescents for their healthy adulthood.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the educational program on the nutrition knowledge, diet quality, lifestyle, and nutritional status of school children from the littoral part of Croatia.

Methods

An education-based intervention study was carried out on 2,709 schoolchildren aged 10–12 years (educated/control group: 2617/92). The questionnaire about sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary, physical activity, screen time, sleep habits, and nutrition knowledge was assessed at the baseline and after a 6- to 9-month follow-up for the medium-term effect of education. Nutrition knowledge was provided after 3 weeks for the short-term education effect assessment.

Results

Educated schoolchildren achieved a significant increase in nutrition knowledge (+75.5%), expressed as a short-term effect of the education and maintained at the 6- to 9-month follow-up (+66.8%, p < 0.001). Follow-up of children significantly improved their nutritional status (underweight −56.6%, normal weight 24.8%, overweight −22.1%, and obesity −57.5%) and physical activity engagement (+13.2%). The proportion of children with a diet highly adhering to the Mediterranean diet significantly doubled (+105.0). Those children with the highest nutrition knowledge at the follow-up significantly improved their nutritional status (+218.9%), participated in organized sports (+204.7%), and had a diet that highly adhered to the MD (+291.8%).

Conclusion

A significantly good medium-term effect of education-based nutrition and lifestyle intervention program on nutrition knowledge, diet quality, lifestyle, and nutritional status of schoolchildren aged 10–12 years was shown. The educational program promoted a Mediterranean diet and lifestyle as a healthy and sustainable way of living, important for children's future health and wellbeing. New research-based approaches are needed for making children more aware and capable of handling the complexity of sustainable living.

Pilot Study on Satisfaction in Children and Adolescents after a Comprehensive Educational Program on Healthy Habits

Prospective research in the area of Education Sciences and Physical-Sports Education agree on the need to design and implement educational programs that promote emotional competencies (ECs), interpersonal competencies (ICs), an adequate level of healthy physical activity (NAFS) and a good adherence to the Mediterranean diet (ADM). The main objective of the study is to design an intervention program in intra- and interpersonal competencies together with nutritional education and corporality called "MotivACTION". The sample consisted of 80 primary schoolchildren aged 8 to 14 years (M = 12.70; SD = 2.76) (37 girls and 43 boys) from two schools in the Community of Madrid. An ad-hoc questionnaire was created to assess the participant's perception of the usefulness of the "MotivACTION" educational experience. The program "MotivACTION: Feed your SuperACTION" is designed and implemented based on the development of a workshop organized through the Universidad Europea de Madrid. As the main preliminary results of the pilot study, the schoolchildren who experienced the "MotivACTION" workshop showed high satisfaction with the educational program. They were able to create a healthy menu with the frog chef. They also felt better and happier at the end of it, and they enjoyed practicing physical activity moving to the rhythm of the music while doing mathematical calculations.