Labeling van voedingsmiddelen en veranderingen in het aanbod in supermarkten en bedrijfsrestaurants: methoden om eetgedrag te veranderen?

In dit artikel worden twee studies beschreven naar de effectiviteit van twee omgevingsinterventies met als doel om de vetconsumptie te verlagen en de groente- en fruitconsumptie te verhogen. Beide studies vonden plaats in supermarkten en bedrijfsrestaurants. Het betrof een labelingsprogramma en een interventie waarbij het aanbod van gezonde voedingsmiddelen werd uitgebreid, in combinatie met een algemeen voorlichtingsprogramma. De studies waren experimenteel van opzet. Gegevensverzameling geschiedde door middel van vragenlijsten en het bijhouden van verkoopcijfers. De resultaten lieten geen effect zien van zowel de omgevings- als de voorlichtingsinterventies op het eetgedrag van de respondenten. Verkoopcijfers lieten een significant effect van de labelingsinterventie zien op het verkoopaandeel van magere desserts, echter voor de andere producten werden geen significante verschillen tussen condities gevonden. Geconcludeerd wordt dat de onderzochte omgevingsinterventies niet het verwachte effect sorteren, en dat vervolgonderzoek noodzakelijk is om meer inzicht te krijgen in welke type omgevingsinterventies mogelijk wel effectief zijn in het veranderen van eetgedrag

Process evaluation of two environmental nutrition programmes and an educational nutrition programme conducted at supermarkets and worksite cafeterias in the Netherlands

This article describes the process evaluation of two environmental programs and a educational nutrition program, implemented at supermarkets and worksite cafeterias. Studies conducted earlier, indicated that the programs had no effect on consumers’ eating behavior. Consequently, the more specific purpose of the present study was to identify explanations for the ineffectiveness of the programs and to formulate recommendations for future programs. Materials and Methods The environmental programs included labeling of healthy products and increasing the range of healthy foods on offer. The education program consisted of several elements, such as brochures and a self-help guide. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-one managers of supermarkets and worksite cafeterias where the programs were implemented. Results Although materials were not always entirely compatible with the different supermarkets and worksite cafeterias, the degree of implementation was satisfactory. According to the managers, the programs were not striking enough, the labeling would have been more effective if it had discriminated between different brands of a product, and the number of new products was too small compared to the total range of foods on offer. Discussion The results can be used to help design and check future intervention programs for use at supermarkets or worksite cafeterias. Recommendations for future programs and research are given

The impact of educational and environmental interventions in Dutch worksite cafeterias

Environmental interventions as labeling of healthy foods and an increased availability of healthy foods may help consumers to meet the guidelines for a healthy diet. This article describes a study into the effectiveness of two environmental programs to be used in worksite cafeterias along with an educational program. The aim of the interventions was to reduce fat intake and increase fruit and vegetable intake. In the 'Labeling Program', low fat products were labeled. The 'Food Supply Program' comprised an increased availability of low-fat products and fruits and vegetables in worksite cafeterias. The 'Educational Program' consisted of information about healthy nutrition through brochures, table tents, a self help manual and posters. The design consisted of a pretest-posttest experimental control group design, with four conditions: the Educational Program, the Food Supply Program plus Educational Program, the Labeling Program plus Educational Program and a control group. Seventeen worksites were randomly assigned to one of the four research conditions. Total fat, fruit, and vegetable intake was measured with a quantitative, self-administered food frequency questionnaire (35 questions). Intake during lunch was measured by asking respondents to write down which food items they had purchased during their last lunch in the cafeteria. Furthermore, sales data for some targeted product categories were collected (milk, butter, cheese, meat products, desserts). For the whole study population, no significant effects on consumption data were found for any of the programs. The data showed a beneficial significant treatment effect of the Labeling Program on total fat intake, for respondents who believe they eat a high fat diet. Sales data revealed a significant effect of the labeling program on desserts, but not for the other products

What Moves Them? Active Transport among Inhabitants of Dutch Deprived Districts

Background. Active modes of transport like walking and cycling have been shown to be valuable contributions to daily physical activity. The current study investigates associations between personal and neighbourhood environmental characteristics and active transport among inhabitants of Dutch deprived districts. Method. Questionnaires about health, neighbourhoods, and physical activity behaviour were completed by 742 adults. Data was analysed by means of multivariate linear regression analyses. Results. Being younger, female, and migrant and having a normal weight were associated with more walking for active transport. Being younger, male, and native Dutch and having a normal weight were associated with more cycling for active transport. Neighbourhood characteristics were generally not correlated with active transport. Stratified analyses, based on significant person-environment interactions, showed that migrants and women walked more when cars did not exceed maximum speed in nearby streets and that younger people walked more when speed of traffic in nearby streets was perceived as low. Among migrants, more cycling was associated with the perceived attractiveness of the neighbourhood surroundings. Discussion and Conclusion. Results indicated that among inhabitants of Dutch deprived districts, personal characteristics were associated with active transport, whereas neighbourhood environmental characteristics were generally not associated with active transport. Nevertheless, interaction effects showed differences among subgroups that should be considered in intervention development

Appreciation and implementation of the Krachtvoer healthy diet promotion programme for 12- to 14- year-old students of prevocational schools

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Krachtvoer is a school-based healthy diet programme, developed in 2001 and revised in 2007 to meet the needs of particular segments of the target population as well as a wider target group. The main aims of the present process evaluation of the revised programme were to examine student and teacher appreciation of the programme, completeness of and adherence to its implementation, and relations between appreciation and completeness of implementation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were collected among 22 teachers and 1117 students of 13 schools, using student evaluation forms, teacher logbooks, telephone interviews, and classroom observations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results indicate favourable levels of teacher and student appreciation for the programme in general and the revised elements. Girls, first-year students and students with more favourable dietary intakes particularly appreciated individual programme elements. Levels of completeness of implementation were high, but several teachers did not adhere to the intended implementation period. Some moderately strong relations were found between teacher appreciation and completeness of implementation scores.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that the revisions have resulted in a programme that was appreciated well, also by the extended target group, and was implemented with a high degree of completeness. Teacher appreciation proved potentially important for completeness of implementation. We identified several aspects requiring improvement, indicating the importance of continued programme updates and repeated evaluation.</p

Sustainable prevention of obesity through integrated strategies: The SPOTLIGHT project's conceptual framework and design

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Europe is high. It is a major cause of the overall rates of many of the main chronic (or non communicable) diseases in this region and is characterized by an unequal socio-economic distribution within the population. Obesity is largely determined by modifiable lifestyle behaviours such as low physical activity levels, sedentary behaviour and consumption of energy dense diets. It is increasingly being recognised that effective responses must go beyond interventions that only focus on a specific individual, social or environmental level and instead embrace system-based multi-level intervention approaches that address both the individual and environment. The EU-funded project “sustainable prevention of obesity through integrated strategies” (SPOTLIGHT) aims to increase and combine knowledge on the wide range of determinants of obesity in a systematic way, and to identify multi-level intervention approaches that are strong in terms of Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM).</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>SPOTLIGHT comprises a series of systematic reviews on: individual-level predictors of success in behaviour change obesity interventions; social and physical environmental determinants of obesity; and on the RE-AIM of multi-level interventions. An interactive web-atlas of currently running multi-level interventions will be developed, and enhancing and impeding factors for implementation will be described. At the neighbourhood level, these elements will inform the development of methods to assess obesogenicity of diverse environments, using remote imaging techniques linked to geographic information systems. The validity of these methods will be evaluated using data from surveys of health and lifestyles of adults residing in the neighbourhoods surveyed. At both the micro- and macro-levels (national and international) the different physical, economical, political and socio-cultural elements will be assessed.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>SPOTLIGHT offers the potential to develop approaches that combine an understanding of the obesogenicity of environments in Europe, and thus how they can be improved, with an appreciation of the individual factors that explain why people respond differently to such environments. Its findings will inform governmental authorities and professionals, academics, NGOs and private sector stakeholders engaged in the development and implementation of policies to tackle the obesity epidemic in Europe.</p