Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract Background The FAN Social Marketing program was developed to improve dietary and physical activity habits of families with children in Ticino, Switzerland. The aim of this study was to examine if the effects of the program on children’s food intake differed by intervention group. Methods Ef...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Nutrition Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12937-018-0334-1 |
| _version_ | 1828758988660932608 |
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| author | Natalie Rangelov Sara Della Bella Pedro Marques-Vidal L. Suzanne Suggs |
| author_facet | Natalie Rangelov Sara Della Bella Pedro Marques-Vidal L. Suzanne Suggs |
| author_sort | Natalie Rangelov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The FAN Social Marketing program was developed to improve dietary and physical activity habits of families with children in Ticino, Switzerland. The aim of this study was to examine if the effects of the program on children’s food intake differed by intervention group. Methods Effects of the FAN program were tested through a Randomized Controlled Trial. The program lasted 8 weeks, during which participants received tailored communication about nutrition and physical activity. Families were randomly allocated to one of three groups, where the parent received the intervention by the Web (G1), Web + e-mail (G2) or Web + SMS (G3). Children in all groups received tailored print letters by post. Children’s food consumption was assessed at baseline and immediate post intervention using a 7-day food diary. Generalized linear mixed models with child as a random effect and with time, treatment group, and the time by treatment interaction as fixed effects were used to test the impact of the intervention. Results Analyses were conducted with a sample of 608 children. After participating in FAN the marginal means of daily consumption of fruit changed from 0.95 to 1.12 in G1, from 0.82 to 0.94 in G2, and from 0.93 to 1.18 in G3. The margins of the daily consumption of sweets decreased in each group (1.67 to 1.56 in G1, 1.71 to 1.49 in G2, and 1.72 to 1.62 in G3). The change in vegetable consumption observed from pre to post intervention in G3 (from 1.13 to 1.21) was significantly different from that observed in G1 (from 1.21 to 1.17). Conclusions A well-designed Web-based Social Marketing intervention complemented with print letters can help improve children’s consumption of water, fruit, soft drinks, and sweets. The use of SMS to support greater behavior change, in addition to Web-based communication, resulted only in a small significant positive change for vegetables, while the use of e-mail in addition to Web did not result in any significant difference. Trial registration The trial was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN registry (ID ISRCTN48730279). |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:50:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-accc12724d354eb3bdd8bc0115eb1895 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-2891 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:50:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrition Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-accc12724d354eb3bdd8bc0115eb18952022-12-22T01:26:39ZengBMCNutrition Journal1475-28912018-02-0117111110.1186/s12937-018-0334-1Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled TrialNatalie Rangelov0Sara Della Bella1Pedro Marques-Vidal2L. Suzanne Suggs3BeCHANGE Research Group, Institute of Public Communication, Università della Svizzera italianaBeCHANGE Research Group, Institute of Public Communication, Università della Svizzera italianaDepartment of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)BeCHANGE Research Group, Institute of Public Communication, Università della Svizzera italianaAbstract Background The FAN Social Marketing program was developed to improve dietary and physical activity habits of families with children in Ticino, Switzerland. The aim of this study was to examine if the effects of the program on children’s food intake differed by intervention group. Methods Effects of the FAN program were tested through a Randomized Controlled Trial. The program lasted 8 weeks, during which participants received tailored communication about nutrition and physical activity. Families were randomly allocated to one of three groups, where the parent received the intervention by the Web (G1), Web + e-mail (G2) or Web + SMS (G3). Children in all groups received tailored print letters by post. Children’s food consumption was assessed at baseline and immediate post intervention using a 7-day food diary. Generalized linear mixed models with child as a random effect and with time, treatment group, and the time by treatment interaction as fixed effects were used to test the impact of the intervention. Results Analyses were conducted with a sample of 608 children. After participating in FAN the marginal means of daily consumption of fruit changed from 0.95 to 1.12 in G1, from 0.82 to 0.94 in G2, and from 0.93 to 1.18 in G3. The margins of the daily consumption of sweets decreased in each group (1.67 to 1.56 in G1, 1.71 to 1.49 in G2, and 1.72 to 1.62 in G3). The change in vegetable consumption observed from pre to post intervention in G3 (from 1.13 to 1.21) was significantly different from that observed in G1 (from 1.21 to 1.17). Conclusions A well-designed Web-based Social Marketing intervention complemented with print letters can help improve children’s consumption of water, fruit, soft drinks, and sweets. The use of SMS to support greater behavior change, in addition to Web-based communication, resulted only in a small significant positive change for vegetables, while the use of e-mail in addition to Web did not result in any significant difference. Trial registration The trial was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN registry (ID ISRCTN48730279).http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12937-018-0334-1NutritionChildrenRCTInterventionWebE-mail |
| spellingShingle | Natalie Rangelov Sara Della Bella Pedro Marques-Vidal L. Suzanne Suggs Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial Nutrition Journal Nutrition Children RCT Intervention Web |
| title | Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full | Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_short | Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | does additional support provided through e mail or sms in a web based social marketing program improve children s food consumption a randomized controlled trial |
| topic | Nutrition Children RCT Intervention Web |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12937-018-0334-1 |
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