Effective components for nutrition interventions: a review and application of the literature

A review of the nutrition intervention literature was conducted for Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) to develop a provincial nutrition and healthy body weight strategy. Controlled trials that were conducted between 1994 and 2000 in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand were included. Fifteen interventions were included, 10 of which showed significant intervention effect and 5 reporting negative effect. Elements of effective interventions included theoretical basis, family involvement, participatory planning and implementation models, clear messages, and adequate training and ongoing support for intervenors. CCO applied these practices to design a pilot intervention. Stakeholders participated in the intervention design and tested for clear messaging. Consistent with social cognitive theory, the intervention included activities for children and parents and provided environmental supports such as transportation and child care. Training and support for implementers and evaluators was provided by CCO.