Effects of a nutritional intervention using pictorial representations for promoting knowledge and practices of healthy eating among Brazilian adolescents
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a nutritional intervention involving a problem-raising approach and the use of pictorial representations on the promotion of knowledge and practices of healthy eating among adolescents. This randomized study included 461 adolescents from public schools i...
| Main Authors: | Fonseca, Laís Gomes, Bertolin, Maria Natacha Toral, Gubert, Muriel Bauermann, Silva, Eduardo Freitas da |
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| Format: | Artigo |
| Language: | Inglês |
| Published: |
PLoS ONE
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
http://repositorio.unb.br/handle/10482/34353 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213277 |
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| Summary: |
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a nutritional intervention involving a problem-raising
approach and the use of pictorial representations on the promotion of knowledge and
practices of healthy eating among adolescents. This randomized study included 461 adolescents
from public schools in Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil (intervention group: 273 students
from four schools; control group: 188 students from three schools). Mean age was
14.8±1.0, and 52.9% were boys. The intervention consisted of three meetings with interactive
activities about principles of healthy eating, food classification, importance of reading
labels and analyzing food advertising critically, and representations of healthy and unhealthy
meals and their sugar, salt, and fat content. Pictorial materials consisted of food drawings,
food models, and a food packaging model. Controls were not exposed to any activity. Dietary
knowledge, consumption, and behaviors were the variables of interest. The intervention
group showed a higher mean score of correct answers to questions about dietary knowledge
than the control group (p = 0.0006), with higher odds of correctly answering questions
about in natura (OR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.9–6.6), minimally processed (OR: 3.6; 95% CI: 1.9–
6.4), processed (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.1–4.3), and ultra-processed foods (OR: 3.5; 95% CI:
1.8–6.6) and composition of ultra-processed foods (OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.3–4.4). Participants
in the intervention group were also 2.5 times more likely to correctly answer questions about
the importance of the dietary environment (95% CI: 1.1–5.5) and caution with food advertising
(95% CI: 1.2–5.3) than controls. Increased weekly consumption of vegetables (p =
0.0077; OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.26–4.51) and reduced consumption of soft drinks (p = 0.0212;
OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.15–0.86) were observed in the intervention group compared to the control
group. The proposed intervention increased adolescents’ knowledge and improved
some of their dietary habits. Educational activities using a problem-raising approach and pictorial
representations of food appear to be effective in promoting healthy eating practices
among adolescents. |
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