Combining effect and process evaluation on european preschool children’s snacking behavior in a kindergarten-based, family-involved cluster randomized controlled trial: The toybox study

De Craemer, M. ; Verbestel, V. ; Verloigne, M. ; Androutsos, O. ; Moreno, L. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Iotova, V. ; Koletzko, B. ; Socha, P. ; Manios, Y. ; Cardon, G.

Resumen: This study aimed at (1) studying the effect of the standardized ToyBox intervention on European preschoolers’ snacking behavior, and (2) studying whether a higher process evaluation score from teachers and parents/caregivers was associated with a more positive result for preschoolers’ snack intake. A sample of 4970 preschoolers (51.4% boys, 4.74 ± 0.44 years) from six European countries provided information on snack intake with the use of a Food Frequency Questionnaire. To investigate the effect of the intervention, multilevel repeated measures analyses were executed for the total sample and the six country-specific samples. Furthermore, questionnaires to measure process evaluation were used to compute a total process evaluation score for teachers and parents/caregivers. No significant intervention effects on preschoolers’ snack intake were found (all p > 0.003). In general, no different effects of the intervention on snack intake were found according to kindergarten teachers’ and parents’/caregivers’ process evaluation scores. The lack of effects could be due to limited intervention duration and dose. To induce larger effects on preschoolers’ snack intake, a less standardized intervention which is more tailored to the local needs might be needed.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197312

Año: 2020

Publicado en: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, 19 (2020), 7312 [20 pp]
ISSN: 1661-7827

Factor impacto JCR: 3.39 (2020)

Categ. JCR: PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH rank: 41 / 176 = 0.233 (2020) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES rank: 118 / 273 = 0.432 (2020) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH rank: 68 / 203 = 0.335 (2020) - Q2 - T2

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.747 - Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis (Q2) - Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health (Q2) - Pollution (Q2)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/245200/EU/Multifactorial evidence based approach using behavioural models in understanding and promoting fun, healthy food, play and policy for the prevention of obesity in early childhood: ToyBox/TOYBOX

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Enfermería (Dpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería)