Evaluation of the Computer-Based Intervention Program Stayingfit Brazil to Promote Healthy Eating Habits: The Results from a School Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Karine Brito Beck da Silva, Naiá Ortelan, Sheila Giardini Murta, Isabel Sartori, Ricardo David Couto, Rosemeire Leovigildo Fiaccone, Maurício Lima Barreto, Megan Jones Bell, Craig Barr Taylor and Rita de Cássia Ribeiro-Silva
Additional contact information
Karine Brito Beck da Silva: Departamento de Ciências da Nutrição, Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Araújo Pinho, 32, Canela, Salvador, BA 40.110-150, Brazil
Naiá Ortelan: Cidacs—Centro de Integração de Dados e Conhecimentos para Saúde, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Osvaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Parque Tecnológico da Bahia, Rua Mundo, 121, Trobogy, Salvador, BA 41745-7115, Brazil
Sheila Giardini Murta: Departamento de Psicologia Clínica, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil
Isabel Sartori: Programa de Engenharia Industrial, PROTEC. Escola Politécnica—PEI, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Aristídes Novis, 02, 6o andar, Federação, Salvador, BA 40210630, Brazil
Ricardo David Couto: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40.170-115, Brasil
Rosemeire Leovigildo Fiaccone: Cidacs—Centro de Integração de Dados e Conhecimentos para Saúde, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Osvaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Parque Tecnológico da Bahia, Rua Mundo, 121, Trobogy, Salvador, BA 41745-7115, Brazil
Maurício Lima Barreto: Cidacs—Centro de Integração de Dados e Conhecimentos para Saúde, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Osvaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Parque Tecnológico da Bahia, Rua Mundo, 121, Trobogy, Salvador, BA 41745-7115, Brazil
Megan Jones Bell: Headspace, Inc. 2415 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
Craig Barr Taylor: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Rita de Cássia Ribeiro-Silva: Departamento de Ciências da Nutrição, Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Araújo Pinho, 32, Canela, Salvador, BA 40.110-150, Brazil

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Interventions via the Internet are promising regarding the promotion of healthy habits among youth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an adapted version of StayingFit to promote healthy eating habits and the measurement adequacy of anthropometric markers among adolescents. A web school-based 12-month cluster-randomized controlled trial examining 7th to 9th grade students was conducted in twelve schools in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The schools’ students were randomly distributed into the intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in StayingFit, an online program designed to encourage and guide healthy eating habits and control body weight. Data on food consumption, anthropometry, physical activity level, and sedentary behavior were collected from all of the students at the beginning of and after the 12-month study. Demographic and socioeconomic data were collected at baseline. The baseline data indicated high rates of overweight (14.4% overweight and 8.5% obese), insufficiently active (87.6%), and sedentary (63.7%). Furthermore, few adolescents regularly consumed fruits (18.8%) and vegetables/legumes (16.4%). Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. At the end of the follow-up period, students in the intervention group had a 43% increased chance of regularly consuming beans (OR = 1.43, 95% CIs = 1.10–1.86) and a 35% decreased chance of regularly consuming soft drinks (OR = 0.65, 95% CIs = 0.50–0.84). No differences were found between the groups studied with regard to the anthropometric parameters. Despite these modest results, the implementation of a web intervention can be beneficial and help promote positive changes in adolescent eating habits.

Keywords: adolescents; school-based nutrition intervention; web-based platform (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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